Mermaids of Ortega
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: Following the events of "Mermaids of Trafalgar," the English and Danish navies pursue the remnants of the French and Spanish Navies to Cape Ortega for a final showdown. Meanwhile, King Triton comes face to face with the ship that killed his wife and Ariel's mother, Queen Athena.
1. After Trafalgar

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Little Mermaid," or its characters. They are property of Hans Christian Andersen and the Walt Disney Company.

"Mermaids of Ortega"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Chapter 1

"After Trafalgar"

It had only been a few hours since the Battle of Trafalgar had come to a conclusion. Many brave men on both sides of the battle had given their lives for their country and for the royal Danish family, their lives had been spared by this great and violent battle. Now, the hunt for the remainder of the French navy was the main goal for the combined English and Danish navies.

But before they could leave to hunt the remaining ships, the burning of the ships that were destroyed in the Battle of Trafalgar had to take place. From the deck of the HMS Victory, Melody watched as the ships burned before her eyes, including the flagship of her family's Danish fleet.

"How are you feeling, Melody?" asked John, who had been appointed admiral following the death of his father, Horatio Nelson. Melody had been spellbound by the intense flames and was startled to hear her lover speak.

"John, you scared me," she gasped.

"I didn't mean to," replied John. "I just wanted to see how you were feeling after that ghastly attack on you during the battle."

Melody shivered at being reminded of when she nearly lost her innocence during the battle by a couple of perverted French soldiers. Had it not been for John's interference, those pigs would have succeeded in stripping Melody of not just her innocence, but also her dignity as a Princess of Denmark.

"I'm feeling fine," she said, grabbing John's hand. "I just want all this to be over, you know? How many more lives must we sacrifice for a worthless cause? Can't we all just get along like they do in Atlantica?"

"If only it were true, Melody," replied John as an explosion was heard, meaning that a ship had been sunk into the ocean. "But, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. There are other empires in the world who don't share the same view as us."

Just then, they both looked down to see a partially burned French Empire flag floating the ocean before sinking into the depths below. Both Melody and John had come to view this as nothing more than the end of their innocence.

If the Battle of Trafalgar had proven one thing to both of them, it was that they were no longer able to maintain a childhood. They had been forced into accepting the majesty of an adulthood by cause of the battle that had just taken part and the battle that was looming over the horizon on the north coast of Spain.

"John?" called a voice and both John and Melody turned around to see Percy walking towards them.

"What is it?" asked John, saluting Percy as he walked towards them.

"You are wanted down below in your father's quarters," replied Percy, urgently. "They are discussing another admiral to join you in the impending battle."

John considered the matter for a moment, given the fact that he had just been appointed admiral upon his father's death. Up until that moment, John thought that he had been given sole control of the British fleet, but it appeared that he had misunderstood.

"I shall be down there at once," he said and after saying a brief goodbye to Melody, John followed Percy down to what was his father's quarters until his death.

Once down below, John was joined by several of his father's officers as well as King Eric and his officers. Sitting in his father's desk was a middle aged English navy officer with a short gray wig and a small moustache.

"Young Nelson," said the man. "There is an important matter that we need to discuss regarding the leadership of this navy for the next battle."

"What are you talking about, Sir Strachan?" asked John in surprise. "I thought that I was going to be in charge of the navy for the next battle?"

"Not quite," replied the middle aged man. "Yes, you have been appointed admiral of this navy. But, that was only because of your father's death. It's better that you are under the guidance of someone with experience and who knew your father well."

John didn't quite understand what was going on, but he had a tremendous amount of respect for Sir Strachan, who was a very good friend of not just his father, but also the entire Nelson family. At the same time, he knew that leading a navy into battle after having only been given the controls of the Navy for a short time was a very risky undertaking.

"It's not quite what I had in mind, Sir Strachan," replied John. "But, I can sense your understanding. You want me to learn what it means to lead an armada into battle?"

"That is exactly what I am talking about, boy," said Sir Strachan, remarking all of the English and Danish officers in attendance. "I can vouch for everyone in this room who can agree with me on this matter."

Sir Strachan then got up from Admiral Nelson's desk and walked over to John, placing a hand on the back of his neck and smiling at him.

"Your father would have wanted you to learn before doing anything rash," he said and John nodded, smiling at him in acknowledgment. "Will you accept my mentorship, Young Nelson?"

"Of course, Sir Strachan," replied John. "If it means fulfilling my father's wishes for the glory of our family and our empires."

So, John was placed under the wing of Sir Richard Strachan as plans of the next phase of the attack on the French and Spanish navies was starting to be planned out.

Meanwhile, in their newly established private quarters, Ariel sat on the edge of her bed that she shared with Eric and was reading from a large black book with the words "BIBLE" on the cover. If there was to be any hope of reasoning with her father, King Triton, and getting him to back down on finding the ship that killed her mother, Queen Athena, then she would need to get all the spiritual help she could muster. But, it wasn't going to be easy…


	2. Reasoning with her Father

Chapter 2

"Reasoning with Her Father"

As the last of the destroyed ships were burned, Ariel sat in her private quarters reading from a bible that was given to her by Vanessa. It seemed that during this whole ordeal, the acceptance of learning what God had to say was something that was of great comfort to Ariel. Each word that was read had almost given the strength for Ariel to stand up to her father and convince him to call off this personal rampage that he had instilled.

"I just hope he listens to me," sighed Ariel as she closed the bible and placed it on the nightstand. "There has been enough bloodshed to last us all a lifetime."

Rising to her feet, Ariel left her private quarters and walked up to the deck where she could see the light from her father's trident glowing under the water. This was of great discomfort to Ariel, for the sinking ships were now nothing more than target practice for her father for when he would finally confront the ship at last. Finally, the waters exploded as Triton rose up to the surface along with several other mersoldiers.

"I don't want any destroyed ship left floating," he ordered the mersoldiers. "We must be prepared for when the time comes."

"Yes, sire," replied the mersoldiers, leaving Ariel in disbelief. It was finally at that moment that Triton turned and saw his daughter with a look of disappointment in her face.

Triton knew that he was going to get the same lecture from Ariel as before, about backing off from his quest to find and destroy the ship that killed Athena.

"Ariel, I know what you are going to say to me," said Triton. "And you know what I am going to say to you, my answer is no. I will not rest until the ship that killed your mother is destroyed."

"Daddy," replied Ariel, standing steadfast. "Didn't today teach you anything at all? You really believe that all of this is worth one ship?"

Triton grunted in disgust over what Ariel had just said. In his mind, nothing was more than one ship, the same way that nothing was over the life of one human. He began to think back to that moment in his daughter's grotto, when he learned of Ariel's love for Eric and became angry to the point of destroying everything that Ariel collected, including the statue that was given to Eric for his birthday.

"Nothing is worth anything," replied Triton, firmly and gripping his trident tightly. "We both know that, Ariel. Why do you think I joined this battle to begin with? Because I know that the ship that killed your mother is among these ships."

"Daddy, please listen to me!" begged Ariel, banging her hand on the railing. "Do you realize how many people died today? My daughter could have been killed, Eric could have been killed, and I could have been killed! Just because I am human doesn't mean that you care about us anymore?"

Triton looked down in disbelief upon hearing those words from Ariel. It seemed at that moment that he had to understand that what was trying to tell him was indeed true. He had neglected the one true importance in his life and that was the safety of his family.

"Ariel, you will always be important to me," sighed Triton, floating over to her. "When I saw you near death during the battle, I had to realize that whether you are human or a mermaid like your sisters, you will always be important to me. In the ten years since you married Eric, I have seen you grow into a beautiful young woman and give birth to an equally beautiful daughter."

Ariel shedded several tears upon hearing this, for knowing that her father truly cared for her family's well-being and overall safety.

"My battles are truly lost if something were to happen to any of you," continued Triton. "And I hope that you understand that. Never forget that my kingdom will always protect you, my child."

Triton floated away from Ariel and sunk back down into the surface, but not before saying to Ariel that he would continue his hunt for the ship that killed her mother, much to her displeasure.

Once he was back under the water, Triton floated to a platoon of mersoldiers, scouring over the destroyed wreckage of French and Spanish ships, trying to find any survivors. Triton was trying to gain information about the whereabouts of the ship in question, but was getting nothing.

"We can't find any survivors, sire," said a mersoldier. "I suppose we will just have to follow the humans until we do find the ship."

"Keep looking," barked Triton, gripping his trident tightly. "No one rests until the ship is found, is that clear?"

The mersoldiers saluted and Triton floated away, looking down at the bodies of several dead soldiers in French uniforms, some with their limbs gone from cannon blasts and such. Rather than treating them with respect, Triton stuck his trident into one of the dead bodies and picked it up like a fork in a meatball.

"When I find that ship," he said, looking at the body. "Every single human on it will be like this human and my thirst for revenge will be completed. Only then can I sleep soundly once again, knowing that my family and my kingdom will truly be protected."

Triton then activated his trident and fired a blast into the body, blowing it to smithereens. As the bits and pieces of flesh and blood floated back down to the surface, Triton then clutched his locket that he had of him and Athena from when they were younger.

It was then that Triton realized that maybe Ariel was indeed right. Maybe he was putting his family at risk of being killed, something that Triton didn't want to do, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. This was war and humans and merpeople die all the time.

However, what cost would Triton have to pay if he did get even with the ship that killed Athena? That was the question that not only went through his mind, but also the minds of his mersoldiers as well…


	3. Down in the Brig

Chapter 3

"Down in the Brig"

As his victors burned the destroyed ships of his fleet, Admiral Villeneuve sat in the brig of the HMS Victory along with several of his men and officers, unaware of what lay ahead for them all. Some were thinking of their families back in Paris and how they were wondering what would happen to them. However, Villeneuve was thinking of the mutual respect that he was now starting to develop for his fallen enemy. Both men were high ranking admirals and they both loved their countries.

"Sire, you seem quiet," said a French officer, taking note of his superior's solitude. "Are you afraid of what is going to happen to us?"

After a brief silence, Villeneuve turned back to the officer and sighed heavily.

"No, my friend," he replied, quietly. "I'm not afraid of what is going to happen. The victors will be the judges of our fate and the vanquished will be the accused. If we die for our country, then so be it."

"Do you think of your family?" asked the officer. "How do you think they are feeling?"

"They are probably thinking of me just as much as your family is thinking about you," sighed Villeneuve. "I can't help but think back to our attack on that wedding ship off the coast of Denmark. Do you realize what we have done?"

The officer was confused for a moment upon hearing this. In his mind, attacking the wedding ship was part of the orders they had received from Paris. France needed sailors for its navy and they were simply filling the void. It seemed that now Villeneuve was starting to have second thoughts about the attack that put them in this position.

"In attacking the wedding ship," continued Villeneuve. "We slaughtered innocent women and children as well. After attacking, I saw innocent people either dead or dying and I could not help but think of what we were doing. But, I had no other choice. I had to follow orders or be shot to death or worse."

"You are right, sire," replied the soldier. "I had the same feeling too. If only I didn't join this group to begin with. I joined to fight for the glory of France, not to kill innocent people at random. We are enemies with the English and we don't do such to their innocent people as well."

Villeneuve agreed with the officer and wondered just exactly what would have happened if he didn't attack the wedding ship to begin with. He would have still had his prized Navy and the fellow Admiral he had admired would still be alive and all of this would have been avoided.

"Do you think that King Eric and Queen Ariel would be easy on us?" wondered the officer. "In attacking the wedding ship, we carried out an attack on Denmark as well?"

"I'm not sure, my son," sighed Villeneuve, turning around to face the officer. "It's likely that we would be surely killed by firing squad or even hanging. If I were to die, I would prefer to die a soldier's death and be shot by a firing squad. Hanging is only a punishment reserved for cowards and scallywags."

"It doesn't matter what they would do to me," sighed the officer. "All that matters is that I enter the master's paradise with my family that have passed on before me."

Villeneuve couldn't agree with this young man more, he didn't want any part of the kingdom of the underworld as much as anyone. He wanted to enter paradise and be entitled to the riches of the heavenly Jerusalem. It didn't matter if he won or lost this battle on the seas, he just didn't want to suffer the consequences of his actions anymore.

Meanwhile, back the HMS Victory, Ariel came back to her private quarters and changed into her pink nightgown. The Bible that she had been reading was still on the nightstand and she grabbed it to look at it some more.

As she looked at it, Ariel wondered if her conversation with Triton had meant anything. Yes, he did admit to allowing Ariel and her family to be nearly killed in the battle, but Ariel had once again failed to convince him to back down on his quest to find and destroy the ship that killed Queen Athena all those years ago. All that Ariel wanted to do was to return home to Denmark and put this behind her, but in doing so would display cowardice in the eyes of the English.

"Ariel, may I come in?" called a voice, knocking on the door.

"Sure, come in, Eric," replied Ariel and Eric opened the door and entered the room. "How was your meeting?"

"We've gotten a plan in place," said Eric as he went behind a shade to undress. "Half of our navy will return to Denmark with the dead and wound while the other half continues the pursuit with the English. Believe me, there was a part of me that wanted to be a part of the half that goes back."

Ariel sighed as she climbed back into bed and pulled the covers over her. It gave her a sense of relief that she wasn't alone in wanting to go back, but Eric was right, they had a duty and a promise to their country to fulfill.

"Are you reading a bible?" remarked Eric, taking note of Ariel reading the large black book.

"Vanessa told me to read one," replied Ariel, putting the bible down. "She says it gives people a sense of comfort. It's very fascinating."

"There are plenty of wonderful stories in it," said Eric, climbing into the bed. "My parents taught me that the Bible can give people a sense of hope and sanctuary."

Ariel then began to think back to her first days as a married woman and remembered that certain words were spoken at their wedding from a book that was very much like what she was reading now. During this time, she could also remember that the priest had given her and Eric what was called the Body and Blood of Christ. She didn't know it at the time, but Ariel was given both spiritual and physical strength that day.

"I hope you are right, Eric," said Ariel. "Let's just hope that the next few days can give us the strength we need to get through all of this."

Nodding in silence, Ariel agreed as they all went to sleep that night, anxiously awaiting what the next few days would bring…


	4. Dawn at Ortega

Chapter 4

"Dawn at Ortega"

By the time that the smaller combine British and Danish fleets arrived in Ortega, it had been two weeks since the battle on the high seas at Trafalgar where so many had been killed. Many of the French and Spanish prisoners on the fleets were either pressed into service or sent back to England and Denmark as prisoners of war. Eric had been fully healed of the injuries he had sustained in the fight and was now able to properly lead his navy into battle again. As the eight ships came into Ortega, they stopped just outside the Cape of Ortega where eight French and Spanish ships were stationed.

"The rules of battle are not for Le Pelley, Admiral Strachan," said Percy as the British Admiral looked out through his telescope. "Let us attack now while they sleep."

"Sir Percy, we will attack when I give the command," replied Sir Strachan, firmly. "At dawn."

Percy saluted his superior and left, even though he felt it was right to attack while the combined enemy fleet least expected it. It was still just before dawn and Sir Strachan needed the light to see his enemy. Just then, he saw movement under the water and Triton emerged from the sea armed with his spear still showing blood from the dead soldier he had impaled.

"King Triton," he said, saluting the king of Atlantica. "I am giving the attack at dawn, so you and your soldiers will wait until then."

"I'd consider myself a reasonable merman," replied Triton. "But, if you wish to attack at dawn, human, then so be it. But, I warn you, my daughter and granddaughter are to be protected at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Sir Strachan didn't like what he had just heard and felt somewhat insulted, but Queen Ariel and Princess Melody were to be protected. After all, they had been nearly killed at Trafalgar as well as nearly stripped of their dignity.

"As you command, your majesty," answered Sir Strachan. "Your daughter and granddaughter will be protected at all costs. You have my word."

"Furthermore," continued Triton. "The ship that killed my wife is among those ships out there, the rest of the ships are yours, but that ship is mine."

Sir Strachan honored Triton's request and instead focused on the task at hand. With a plan in place, his main task was overseeing the men who were about to finish what Nelson had started, while Triton went back down below to oversee the platoon of mermen soldiers who were about to join the fight from under the sea.

"Prepare yourselves my loyal warriors," said Triton, raising his trident into the air and firing a small blast from it. "For today, the humans who killed your queen will suffer the wrath of what Atlantica has been blessed with. Leave no human alive and immerse yourself in the blood of each human you kill."

A loud cry came from the soldiers as they responded loudly to the cries of their king. The cries could also be heard from above the surface as Sir Strachan listened in briefly.

"By George, he sure knows how to inspire an army," he thought.

Meanwhile, down below in their cabin, John was just about to join Sir Strachan on deck when he noticed the room where the dead and wounded were stationed in the battle of Trafalgar. It had been cleaned and where the tables once stood was where a set of pews now stood. On each spot in the pews was a bible and a rosary.

"What is this?" John wondered as he picked up a rosary from a bible. "This is where the dead and wounded are supposed to go."

John then walked down the aisle and came up to an altar table with a grail of Eucharist on one side and a grail of wine on the other. He couldn't believe that this was now a place of prayer rather than a place of death.

"Amazing," gasped John. "Who would bring God's house into our ship?"

"We did," said a voice and John turned to see Ariel and Melody standing in the back of the room.

Ariel was dressed in the pink and white gown that she wore to her first dinner with Eric and Grimsby while Melody was dressed in the pink gown that she wore for her 12th birthday as well as the ball back in Denmark.

"Melody, Queen Ariel," remarked John. "What is going on here?"

"We thought it would be best if we use the power of prayer to get us through this battle," explained Ariel. "There is no better place for a man to be when he is in pain, you know."

"It was Vanessa's idea, John," added Melody, walking over to John. "This room was filled with death before."

John was amazed by this and hugged Melody tightly. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to just stay here and pray with her and Ariel. But, he had a duty to fulfill up on deck. A duty that his father once held.

"I don't want to leave you," cried John as he and Melody broke apart.

"I'm afraid you must," said Ariel. "Sir Strachan is waiting for you up on deck."

Pulling himself together, John left the room but not before giving Melody a kiss with Ariel watching. John was afraid for a brief second that Ariel wouldn't take it well, but she didn't react and allowed John to pass out of the room and up onto the deck. Ariel and Melody weren't alone for very long as Eric was the next to enter the makeshift church.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" asked Eric. "It may not be safe here in case the ship gets boarded."

"Eric, you have to trust me," replied Ariel. "I'm not sure how this battle is going to turn out, but if we die, we die praying to God."

"Then, why are you dressed in your best?" wondered Eric, noticing the dresses that his wife and daughter were wearing. "You would not stand a chance if the enemy came in here."

"We are dressed in our best so that if we come to God," said Ariel. "We come to him as a Queen and a Princess. Besides, I wore this gown when we had our first dinner together."

Eric could not help but think back to that night when Ariel had dinner with him and Grimsby. Eric was so enthralled by Ariel's beauty, that he told her she looked wonderful. But, she wasn't wonderful, she looked beautiful as did Melody.

"Well, the English say we like our people well dressed for the enemy," chuckled Eric, briefly. "But, I can see what you and Melody are trying to do, Ariel. We need all the prayers we can get."

With those words, Eric hugged his wife and daughter before leaving the room and heading back to his ship for the start of the battle. Ariel and Melody were alone and were now turning to God for protection in the coming battle.

Meanwhile, the sun had risen and the eight English and Danish ships took up position around the Cape of Ortega. John stood by Sir Strachan as the elder English Admiral drew his sword and pointed it in the direction of the third enemy ship from the right.

"We'll begin the attack there," he ordered. "At the Spanish ship from the right."

After a few moments, the cannon was fired and the Battle of Ortega had now begun…


	5. A Tense Silence

Chapter 5

"A Tense Silence"

The cannon blast from the HMS Victory travelled faster and faster towards the targeted Spanish ship and once it struck the side of the ship, the combined English and Danish navies waited for a response. However, strangely enough, the other side didn't respond and an eerie silence was all that came from the other side.

"What is wrong with them?" asked John as Sir Strachan looked through his telescope. "Why aren't they attacking?"

"They are just sitting there asking for it," Sir Strachan said to himself. "I see guns at the ready, but no one is at the ready. This is strange."

"Should we go and investigate?" suggested John, much to Sir Strachan's displeasure. "They might had surrendered or something."

However, the elder Admiral had his suspicions and felt it wasn't a good idea to investigate. In his mind, this could be some kind of trap that they had set where they could free Villeneuve and all that the British and Danish had captured.

"Absolutely not, John," replied Sir Strachan, sharply. "It could be a trap or something. No, we wait for a response from them."

So, John and the rest of the fleet waited for a response from the other side. However, as the hours went by, no response was heard and a strong tension was felt on both sides. Sir Strachan understood that the French and Spanish wanted them to believe that they had given up and he stuck to his instincts.

A little while later, Sir Strachan knew that the combined enemy fleet didn't fire because they knew that Villeneuve was on the HMS Victory and if they were to attempt a rescue, they would have to get through the other ships to do so. This gave Sir Strachan an idea and he gathered his officers from both fleets down in Nelson's quarters.

"Gentlemen, I think I have a sense of what is happening," he said, walking back and forth across the room. "They aren't firing on us because they know that Villeneuve is on here."

"So what do you think they are expecting to do?" asked Eric.

"They are expecting us to negotiate a deal that could free the man who killed Lord Nelson," addressed Sir Strachan. "They won't fire on us unless this very ship is removed from battle. To this end, I believe that its best that my own ship, HMS Caesar, take over as lead ship in this battle."

Everyone in the room could only agree with that. After the events at Trafalgar, they couldn't lose any more valuable ships of his majesty's navy. For Eric, this was a major sigh of relief for him given the risk that Ariel and Melody were placed in.

"I'd bet they probably heard about what happened to your wife and daughter," said a British officer to Eric. "The French are Pigs, but they have their limits on who they throw themselves onto."

Instead of responding right away, Eric looked up to the ceiling and his eyes pointed in the direction of heaven, almost as if he was talking to God himself. This delay to him, was a sign that God was listening and was more than willing to protect Ariel and Melody.

"Ready the other ships for battle," ordered Sir Strachan. "We pull HMS Victory out and the rest of the fleet moves in."

Heeding their new commander's orders, the officers dispersed and returned to their respective ships to prepare them for battle. Eric went over to the prayer room to tell Ariel and Melody that they were being moved for their safety.

Walking into the prayer room, Eric had already found that several soldiers, who had been greatly injured at Trafalgar, had joined Ariel and Melody in prayer. He didn't want to disturb them, but Ariel and Melody had to know, so he quietly walked up to them and tapped Ariel on her shoulder. This caused Ariel and Melody to break out of their prayer mentality.

"Eric, what is it?" whispered Ariel, rising to her feet. Not wanting to disturb the prayer session, Eric led his wife out of the room and into the hallway, although Ariel had to take her time so as to not trip on her pink and white gown. "What is happening?"

"Sir Strachan says that we should remove this ship from the battle," said Eric. "He believes that the French won't fire upon us because Villeneuve is on board. In a sense, I think its right, for your safety as well as Melody's."

Ariel was relieved that she and Melody wouldn't be put in harm's way again, but at the same time, she didn't want to leave Eric's side and have go in this alone.

"Then, we are going with you," said Ariel, firmly. "We can hold a prayer session on another ship."

"No, that's out of the question," retorted Eric, putting his foot down. "I almost lost you once and I am not going to almost lose you again. You are staying here and that is final."

Ariel felt like protesting this order that Eric had given her, but she couldn't. She knew that Eric had to be the one to make the final decision and he was the king.

"Besides, your father doesn't want you to be in harm's way, either," added Eric. "Sir Strachan told me that he and Triton talked about your safety as well as Melody's."

"I've been in worse situations before, Eric," replied Ariel, still trying to prove her case. "What if you end up in the ocean again and nearly drown like you did when we first met? You may need me to turn into a mermaid again."

"This is much different than the hurricane," sighed Eric. "This is war and even if you did turn into a mermaid, you would be wide open to a soldier's bullet or a cannon blast. As Queen of Denmark, you need to lead a different kind of battle."

"What kind of battle?" she asked.

"A battle that involves no weapons and no fighting," said Eric, walking back into the prayer room. "You need to invoke your spirit and only your faith is the weapon of choice. Pray hard and you will help us win this battle that is at hand. Besides, you are well dressed for the enemy."

Eric once again referred to the gown that Ariel was now wearing as a reminder of their early days together. However, Ariel could not help but think of what would happen if Eric was not able to return from the battle at hand. Nevertheless, she tried to hide her fears and hugged Eric one last time before he would return to his duties.

"Come back safe, Eric," cried Ariel, trying not to cry and ruin her makeup that was on her face. "I'll be waiting for you along with Melody."

"I will, Ariel," replied Eric and after a lengthy embrace, they broke apart and Ariel returned to the prayer room and rejoined Melody at the front pew, with only the sounds of her high heels being heard in the silence. Melody could tell that her mother was upset and placed a hand on hers, a sign that they were in this together, just like they were at Trafalgar.

A few hours later, the HMS Victory was pulled back and the HMS Caesar took over as head ship. Aboard his lead Danish ship, Eric watched with reassurance that his wife and daughter were out of harm's way before turning back to the task at hand, which was the French and Spanish Fleets, now looking like they were ready to battle.

"May God help us all," said Sir Strachan, aboard his ship, HMS Caesar. "For what we must do."


	6. Effective French Tactics

Chapter 6

"Effective French Tactics"

From the safety of Cape Ortega, the French and Spanish fleet watched as the HMS Victory backed away from the combined British and Danish fleets while Strachan's HMS Caesar took its place. Aboard his ship, Formidable, the new commander of the French/Spanish fleet, Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley, could see that the British and Danish were trying to keep Villeneuve away from being rescued.

"Ah, so you try to keep our supreme leader away from us?" he said to himself, looking through a telescope. "Perhaps when I am done with you all, you will learn not to delay the inevitable. My commander will be rescued along with all you have captured at Trafalgar."

Pelley then walked over to the helm of the ship where several of his high ranking officials were present. Upon saluting their leader, the crafty French admiral drew up his plans to the men.

"I have a plan to rescue Villeneuve from the capture of those English pigdogs," he announced. "I want us to reach the HMS Victory and launch a full scale assault, making sure that no one stands in our way."

The men continued to listen as Pelley drew his sword and pointed to the British ships now guarding the HMS Victory, pointing it from the left and moving down to the right.

"Each of our ships take one British ship and one Danish ship," ordered Pelley. The Formidable will fight the HMS Caesar, who supposedly is the one protecting the HMS Victory. I will be the one to board her and rescue our leader. Whoever wishes to join me is free to do so."

"But why have the Victory to yourself?" asked a fellow officer, much to Pelley's irk. "Let us help you, sire, you might need…"

However, the officer was silenced when Pelley pointed his sword at him towards his throat. Pelley knew that this man was assigned to lead his ship after the weakest ship in the fleet which was the British ship, HMS Aeolus.

"Now you listen to me, Touffet," hissed Pelley, twisting his sword at the man's throat. "You will do as I command and provide me support by taking out the Aeolus. I can kill you right here and right now if I wanted to. So, do as you are told, understand?"

Touffet nodded nervously as Pelley pulled his sword away from his throat and back into his holster. It was very clear among the officers that Pelley was not going to tolerate anyone else from achieving his glory, which was to rescue Villeneuve aboard the Victory.

"Now, does anyone else have anything to say?" asked Pelley and the men replied that they didn't have anything else to say to their self-proclaimed superior. "Very good, I assume that we won't have any more problems then, won't we? Now, get to your ships and wait for the order to strike."

As his fellow officers boarded longboats to return to their ships, Pelley turned away from his soldiers and reached into his tunic, pulling out a long dagger with a blunted point. Once the dagger had been pulled, he smiled and chuckled to himself in an evil manner. For little did anyone know that he was not only after Villeneuve's freedom, but also the live prizes that were also aboard as well.

"They think that I am trying to rescue Villeneuve," thought Pelley. "Well, they are wrong for I also seek the prizes that are also on board that ship. Her highnesses, Queen Ariel and Princess Melody will become France's trophies when I am done with them. Once aboard, I will strip whatever dignity and glory that they have and bring their naked bodies back for all to see and marvel. Of course, I have a way of taking out their defense."

Pelley then walked over to a French musketeer, the same one who had killed Nelson at Trafalgar and handed him a silver Franc worth over $100 dollars.

"You know what to do," said Pelley. "Assassinate the king of Denmark and whoever is with him and bring me back his head to hang on my wall."

"As you command, sire," replied the musketeer who then retreated to his post as Pelley chuckled evilly, eager to start his ultimate conquest of rescuing Villeneuve and making the Queen and Princess of Denmark his trophies.

Little did Pelley realize that just underneath the sea, his ship was under the eye of Triton's mersoldiers who saw the red mark engraved into the ship's bow. For they knew that the red mark was that of Queen Athena's blood, still visible after so many years. Triton continued to stare at the mark and was debating in his mind whether he should just strike the ship and be done with it.

"We have our orders, your majesty," suggested Sebastian, the crab. "Looking at dat ship isn't going to help you."

"I can't take my eyes off of it, Sebastian," replied Triton. "In fact, I can't even look away from it. Athena's blood is on that ship and I want the blood of those aboard to paint the seas as a warning for anyone who dares attach me, my family and my subjects."

"But, what about Ariel, sire?" added Sebastian, trying to get Triton to think of something else of great value. "You saw what happened in that last battle."

Despite hearing what Sebastian had said, Triton insisted that his daughter and granddaughter were under protection from the impending confrontation. After all, Strachan had given his word to protect Ariel and Melody at all costs from these French and Spanish savages.

"They will be safe, Sebastian," Triton continued to say. "For now, we have my family and my kingdom to protect and if I die, I die trying to do so."

Sebastian could see the blood and lust in Triton's eyes and wondered if he should use all of his energy in this continuing conflict that had felt like an eternity, despite being over a few weeks between Trafalgar and Ortega.

In his mind, Sebastian should have been writing symphonies and performing for all of Atlantica. But now, here he was, standing next to his superior awaiting the beginning of another bloody confrontation over the loss of his wife, Queen Athena.

"I'll be glad when all of this is over," the crab thought.


	7. Vanessa Joins the Prayer Services

Chapter 7

"Vanessa Joins the Prayer Services"

It had already been several hours since the HMS Victory was moved to the safety of the HMS Caesar and the only ones on board were several British officers, a platoon of soldiers from the 27th regiment and a platoon of Gordon highlanders. Down below, several of the wounded from Trafalgar continued to join Ariel and Melody in prayer for the hopeful outcome of what was to follow.

"How long have we been praying mom?" asked Melody, as the room continued to fill while she rose from the pew and walked over to the window showing the British and Danish fleets blocking their view of the Cape of Ortegal. "It's been like forever."

"Its all we can do, Melody," replied Ariel, walking over to Melody and placing a hand on her shoulder as she joined her in looking out the window. "Your father wanted us to be safe in this impending battle as did my father."

"If only we could be at dad's side," sighed Melody, who was in reality thinking about John, who was aboard with Strachan aboard the HMS Caesar. "And John's as well."

Ariel could understand her daughter's pain as she was also thinking about Eric, who was on his ship, also awaiting the moment for when the battle would start. It seemed that everything that had played up to this moment went through Ariel's head like a fast moving train.

Eric was all that she had, unlike any merman that had longed for Ariel's affection back when she was a mermaid and living in Atlantica. Melody was like her once, young and vibrant while longing for a better world. She could sense that Melody wanted to become a mermaid again and swim to the Caesar, but neither of them couldn't.

"I know how you feel, but this is the best we can do at this point," replied Ariel, her voice feeling powerless. "We need God to fight our battle for us, Melody. He will protect us and he will protect your father, too, I hope."

Meanwhile, Vanessa was in another part of the Victory where she was clad in a vanilla underdress getting ready to head down to the prayer room. She had her seamstresses remake the wedding dress that she had worn the day that her life was turned upside down when the French attacked her wedding ship.

Victor was aboard the same ship that Eric was on and just like Eric had told Ariel and Melody, Victor had told Vanessa that the only weapon that she had in the impending battle was prayer and like Ariel and Melody, if she was going to die, she was going to die dressed in her best and as a woman.

"Vanessa?" called a voice, while her door was being knocked on. "We have your wedding gown finished."

"You may bring it in, Carlotta," replied Vanessa as she did her hair. Eric's lead servant and several of Vanessa's seamstresses came into the room at that moment and placed her wedding gown on a wall.

Once she had finished doing her hair, Vanessa rose from the vanity and stood as her servants dressed her in her newly remade wedding gown, just the way she was during the planned wedding. It took several minutes for Vanessa to be completely dressed, but once she was, Vanessa grabbed her rosaries and her long wedding veil was placed on her head as she stepped out of her black flat shoes and into her high heeled sandals.

"How do you look, Vanessa?" asked one of the seamstresses, handing Vanessa a mirror.

"I look like I was when I planned to marry Victor," replied Vanessa, inspecting her completed look. "If I ever die in the impending conflict, I will die looking like a bride."

The sounds of Vanessa's declaration caused one of the servants to break down crying, but Vanessa bent down and placed her hand to the servant's chin and raised her head to look into her eyes.

"Listen to me," she said, calmly. "When I say that I will die, it means that we have to prepare for the unexpected. All we can do now is pray to God for our safe outcome."

She then rose and turned her attention to Carlotta and all the other servants. All of them were starting to show tears in their eyes, not just because Vanessa looked beautiful like she was on her supposed wedding, but because they were all in fear, fear of what was going to happen to all of them, fear of what was going to happen to their loved ones. In fact, some of the seamstresses had husbands that were aboard the Danish ships and all they could do was think of them.

"If you wish," advised Vanessa, walking over to the door of her room. "You can all follow me to the prayer room where we will pray for the outcome of our loved ones."

Nodding in agreement to follow her, Vanessa led Carlotta and the seamstresses down to the prayer room and upon arrival, all who were in prayer looked back at Vanessa, dressed in her wedding gown. But, Vanessa knew that they were all there to pray and she had to do the same for the outcome of her lover, Victor and all who were going to be involved in the battle to come. Ariel and Melody watched as Vanessa walked down the aisle towards the front pews and knelt down at the Altar.

"Perhaps we should join her now, Melody," suggested Ariel as she walked back towards the front pew. The sounds of her high heels piercing the silence amidst the silent prayers that were being heard.

So, the Queen and Princess of Denmark joined Vanessa in prayer as the sounds of silence were broken once again by a loud bang, confirming the fears of everyone in that room that the battle had begun.

"Keep turning to God," coached Vanessa, clutching her rosary beads tighter. "It's all we can do at this point."

As the guns and cannons grew louder and louder, the prayers were also growing louder and louder for now that the Battle of Cape Ortega had begun…


	8. Start of the Battle

Chapter 8

"Start of the Battle"

As the prayers began to be said in the prayer room of the HMS Victory, the ships guarding it and Denmark's Queen and Princess from the savage French and Spanish fleets. On the orders of Sir Strachan, the ships were assigned to take a ship and attack it from reaching the Victory. Aboard the HMS Caesar, John stood with a platoon of soldiers armed to the teeth with rifles, while shouts of orders were heard.

"They won't get near us, Sir Strachan!" called John to the commander up on the poop deck. "If they want to free Villeneuve, then they have to get through us!"

"Indeed, my boy," shouted Sir Strachan, drawing his sword. "It's time for you to pick up where your father left off, young Nelson!"

Just then, the Formidable came up with Pelley at the command, looking down at his men, waiting to hear him give the order. The only one standing between him and freeing his superior as well as taking the Queen and Princess of Denmark as trophies, was the HMS Caesar and its commander.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" said Pelley, looking down at the French commander. "Ney! Prepare to board the Caesar at once!"

After doing a brief sign of the cross, Ney ordered the trumpeter to sound the advance and at the banging of the two ships, the French soldiers charged onto the Caesar and John gave the order for his men to take their positions.

"At 100 yards," he called. "Volley fire present!"

The English soldiers got into position and once the Frenchmen were at 100 yards. John lowered his sword and called for them to fire their weapons. The first wave killed several French soldiers, but they just kept on coming. Another wave of gunfire erupted from the English soldiers killed a few more, but it was no use and the French soldiers crashed into the English soldiers, killing several of them instantly.

"Fall back!" shouted John and drew his sword, engaging the French soldiers. The son of Admiral Nelson was tasting his first share of combat and was going to do everything in his power to protect the ship that his father loved and cared for. "Don't let them advance to the Victory!"

The sounds of cannon fire continued to be heard as both the Caesar and Formidable suffered damage from the cannon blasts. Sir Strachan also joined the fight and did whatever he could to protect his young troops. But, Pelley was watching and knew that this was his chance to join in the fight.

"You men!" he shouted to a platoon of French soldiers. "Follow me to our conquest and the freedom of our captured leader! Charge!"

Running down from the poop deck, the brigade of French soldiers charged onto the Caesar, but John and several other soldiers knocked several more into the ocean with the butt of their rifles. A soldier came up and swung his rifle at John, hitting him in the face. With John on the ground, several soldiers surrounded John like a pack of wolves, but John got up and kept fighting, killing the soldiers that surrounded him with his rifle and knife that he kept in a small holster.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the dead were already falling into the sea and the merarmy was now more ready than ever to join the fight. For Triton, there was no turning back now and everyone knew it.

"Shall we join the fight?" he cried, raising his trident high over his head. "Will you give your lives for the glory of Atlantica?"

The mermen roared in response at their leader's cry and with a blast of his trident, Triton led the mersoldiers to the surface and aided the British and Danish forces against their enemies. Some had climbed onto the ships themselves and engaged their enemies directly. Triton himself also joined, focusing his attention onto the Formidable, skewering the soldiers that had been attacking John.

"Thank you, King Triton!" cried John as the sea king killed a soldier that was attacking him. "I owe you my life!"

But this was no time for exchanging thanks and Triton knew it. For there were more soldiers fighting amongst the chaos.

"Protect my granddaughter, human!" he ordered to John. So, doing as he was told, John returned to fighting against the soldiers, determined to carry out their leaders orders of capturing the HMS Victory and taking its prizes.

Meanwhile, Eric and Victor were also fighting their lives out against the Spanish forces and for a while, they seemed to have the upper hand.

"Steady, men, steady!" cried Eric as his men formed a square on the main deck. "Aim for the Spanish! Fire!"

Eric lowered his arm and the soldiers in the square fired at the Spanish soldiers, who had up until that moment, been getting the upper hand against the Danish soldiers. This changed the tide of the battle on the Danish greatly.

"Abre la boca!" shouted a Spanish soldier, pointing a gun at Eric intending to put a bullet into his mouth, but a soldier in the square took his gun and shot the soldier in his chest, killing him. For the next few minutes, the squares continued to fire, but had to disperse when the Spanish overwhelmed the Danish, forcing Eric and his men to fall back.

"Keep praying, my love," thought Eric as he was pushed to the edge of his ship. "We need all the faith we can get!"

But before Eric could give another thought, a Spanish soldier punched Eric in the chest and into the waters below. Struggling to get back onto his ship, Eric attempted to grab onto the side of his ship and climb, but the current of the seas preventing him from doing so.

"Eric!" cried Victor, who was being cornered by several Spanish soldiers. "Climb on!"

But, Eric didn't respond and felt at that moment that now, Eric had a choice to either continuing trying to get back to his ship or swim to the Victory and get to his wife and daughter. His ship was going to fall to the Spanish eventually, but if he was going to die, it would be with his family.

"He's going to the Victory!" thought Victor. "Vanessa could be in danger. Who knows what these pigs might do to her?"

Following the example of his king, Victor jumped into the ocean and attempted to follow Eric to the HMS Victory, although at that moment, the French musketeer assigned to kill Eric had his target in full view and for a moment, it seemed like Eric was to die under mysterious circumstances…


	9. Returning to the Victory

Chapter 9

"Returning to the Victory"

Swimming as fast as he could, Eric tried desperately to get to his wife and daughter on the HMS Victory. Normally, it would be viewed as cowardice to abandon his army in the eyes of his soldiers, but the safety of his family was Eric's top priority. Many of his men were being slaughtered and the oceans were already brewing with the blood of soldiers from both sides.

"Eric!" cried Victor, who was swimming from not far behind. However, Eric was not pleased by what Victor was doing, for in his mind, Victor was deserting the Danish navy.

"Victor, get back to the ship!" ordered Eric. "This doesn't concern you and you are defying my orders of deserting your fellow men!"

"It does concern me, sire!" cried Victor as another body fell into the water. "Vanessa is on that ship and she is my main concern right now!"

"Get back to the ship!" cried Eric again. "That's an order, you hear me?"

But, while the two men were arguing, the French musketeer assigned to kill Eric had the king of Denmark in his range and for a moment, it seemed like Eric would be killed.

"Now, I've got you, you Danish swine!" thought the musketeer, but then John saw what was happening and leaped at the musketeer, causing him to fire and miss his target. This caught the attention of Eric and Victor, who turned to see John battling the musketeer and then killing him with his knife.

"Go, your highness!" he cried, picking up the dead musketeer's rifle. "I'll hold them off!"

Eric smiled at this and he and Victor continued to swim towards the Victory, who continued to be in the protection of the British ships, who had started to gain the upper hand on the French, disabling one of them. The crew of the Caesar had managed to overpower the crew of the Formidable, and those that were thrown into the sea were either killed by the wounds they sustained or by the mersoldiers who had come up to stab the nearly dead French and Spanish soldiers to death.

"We've got them on the ropes, John!" cried Sir Percy, shooting a French soldier with his rifle. "The rest are retreating or giving themselves up!"

"Yes, but where is Pelley?" asked John, as the new commander of the French navy was nowhere to be found. "He's not here!"

But, they couldn't think for very far as the French soldiers continued to fight back. For when he saw the French musketeer killed by John, Pelley and several of his toughest men had sneaked aboard a longboat armed with guns, knives and shackles for Ariel and Melody when Pelley would bring their naked bodies back to his fleet as trophies of their victory, despite the fact that they were losing.

"The British and Danish think they are going to defeat me?" remarked Pelley. "When there is a will, there is a way and I will make sure of it."

He then saw Eric and Victor swimming towards the Victory and seeing this as an opportunity, Pelley grabbed his pistol and fired at the two men.

"Sire, watch out!" shouted Victor as he pushed Eric away from the bullets that were being fired at them. Victor was pushing Eric under the water to get him out of view of Pelley's fire. Unfortunately, this meant that Victor himself was at risk and all that they could do was swim for their lives.

Soon, they found themselves out of the range of the blasts coming from Pelley's fire, but they were not out of danger.

"Faster! Faster!" cried Pelley to his men that were rowing. "Our leader's freedom awaits!"

Climbing aboard the Victory, Eric and Victor were pulled to safety and then led into the bottom of the ship towards the prayer room.

"Are you hurt, your highness?" asked a soldier. "What happened out there?"

"My ship got overpowered," panted Eric, trying to catch his breath. "However, we are seeming turning the tide against our enemy. How is my wife and daughter?"

"They are fine, your highness," said another soldier. "They have been in the prayer room all day."

Little did they know at that moment, Pelley and his men had rowed to the side of the ship and quietly climbed up onto the ship almost quiet enough to the point where no one on board could hear them. A pair of English soldiers standing guard were not aware of the situation and before they could scream for help, the French soldiers stabbed them and their presence was known with the sounds of gunfire.

"What was that?" cried Eric. "What was that gunfire?"

The king of Denmark ran up as fast as he could with Victor and the other guards following behind, struggling to catch up at times. Loud screams could be heard as the platoon of heavily armed French soldiers slaughtered the British and Scottish soldiers who tried to defend the Victory.

"Impossible!" cried Victor, amazed at what he saw. "How could he…?"

"He just did," interrupted Eric. "I know what he wants and he is not getting it. Come on!"

Eric charged at the French soldiers and swinging his sword, tried to keep them from getting below deck and towards the prayer room. However, the king of Denmark, filled with exhaustion from fighting on his fallen ship, was quickly beaten and Victor was no match for the other soldiers either, his own strength drained to the point of exhaustion as well.

"They weren't even worth my time!" cried Pelley, who then turned to the still large group of soliders. "You half, head for the brig and free Villeneuve and our captured comrades. The rest of you come with me, where we will seek our prizes!"

A loud war cry from the soldiers were heard and the two groups of soldiers split up as Eric and Victor struggled to their feet.

"No," groaned Eric as he got to his feet. "Ariel….Melody…."

Eric was badly hurt from the unstoppable onslaught against him and his fleet, but he needed to protect the ones he cared about the most and together with Victor, they gathered several soldiers and went to intercept them.

But, would they be too late?

Down in the prayer room, the silent prayers were interrupted when the loud sounds of banging on the door were heard. Everyone in the room suddenly began to grow fearful of what was going to happen to them.

"Its them!" cried one of Vanessa's servants. "They've defeated the Caesar!"

"Don't let them in here!" shouted Ariel as several of the wounded soldiers grabbed whatever they could to barricade the door. Melody was also starting to become very scared for none of them knew what was going to happen next.

"Keep God on your side!" cried Vanessa as the hastily made barricade was starting to quickly break down.

"Open the door!" shouted a French soldier. "We know you are in there, Queen Ariel! You husband is dead and soon, you and your daughter will become our prizes!"

A whitened look came onto both their faces and it seemed at that moment that all would be lost. In their minds, Eric was indeed dead and Vanessa was also worried as well for she didn't know the fate of Victor, her lover and soon-to-be-husband.

As the barricade gave way, the soldiers came into the room and the gates of hell were opened…


	10. Villeneuve Breaks his Bonds

Chapter 10

"Villeneuve Breaks His Bonds"

It seemed like everything seemed to stop when the French soldiers led by Pelley snuck from battling the Caesar and infiltrated the HMS Victory, the very ship that was to be protected at all costs. The French naval commander had his eyes set on Ariel and Melody as his lust rose up inside of him. Pelley had two goals at this moment: strip Ariel naked and bring her body to the French navy as a prize and free Villeneuve, who was in the brig down below along with all the other captives from Trafalgar.

"Queen Ariel, at last we meet," he said, advancing towards her like a predator to its prey. The chaos that had erupted in the room was now silenced as quickly as it began. Two French soldiers grabbed hold of Vanessa and held her tightly as Ariel stood in front of Melody like a protective mother.

"Melody, stay behind me," ordered Ariel, as Pelley slowly walked towards her. "It'll be all right."

"I am afraid, Mademoiselle, that it won't be," hissed Pelley. "I've come seeking prizes and you just happened to be one of them."

Ariel's heart sank at hearing this, thinking back to when Triton would always tell her and her sisters that humans often sought merpeople as prizes. Pelley then motioned for his soldiers to leave the room except for Ariel, Melody and Vanessa, taking the dead and wounded soldiers with them along with Vanessa's servants.

"I don't know what you want," cried Ariel. "But, when Eric gets through with you…"

"I told you that your husband is dead," interjected Pelley, taking out his knife and placing it to Ariel's throat. "You have no one left anymore except for me. I will take you back to Paris, Ariel and I will make sure that you are given to Napoleon as his own personal toy."

Ariel didn't take this lightly and slapped Pelley across the face. At this point, Ariel was beginning to get scared for what would happen to her and Melody along with Vanessa. But, she was a Queen of an entire nation after all and she had to stay strong.

"You can have anything you want," she said as Pelley, motioned the knife in front of her face. "But, leave my daughter alone."

Pelley then looked over towards Melody, who felt tears forming in her eyes as Vanessa got Melody behind her. It appeared to Pelley that he wasn't going to get entirely what he wanted, but he had Ariel at his mercy.

"Very well then," replied Pelley, chuckling evilly. "The princess goes, but you remain and the bride stay here with me."

Melody ran over to Ariel and hugged her tightly, not wanting to leave her side, but Ariel insisted that she did leave. Doing as she was told, Melody left the room and only Ariel, Vanessa and Pelley were alone.

Meanwhile, Eric and Victor had managed to rally their forces and overpower the soldiers on the main deck. However, they were still weakened from their furious swim across the ocean.

"We need to find anyone who is still a threat," said Eric, running down to the lower levels of the ship. "Victor, take a group of men with you and search for any French soldiers. I'm going to find my daughter and my wife."

"Yes, sire," replied Victor and the young Dane led several men, both English and Scottish, into the inner part of the Victory to search for any more invaders. Eric was dead set on finding Ariel and Melody, unable to think of the horrors that they would go through if he didn't find them and fast.

"Ariel! Melody!" shouted Eric as he walked along the narrow hallways of the Victory. "Where are you? Can you hear me?"

Eric's cries were heard from the brig where Villeneuve and the captives from Trafalgar were present. The chaos had caused the men guarding them to be left unguarded and free to break out of their prison.

"It's the king of Denmark!" said a French soldier, grabbing the bars of the cell in excitement. "We should kill him!"

However, Villeneuve wasn't excited to hear that the king of Denmark was on the loose. For he knew that something wasn't right. If Pelley were to rescue him, then he would have done so by now. But, Pelley was taking too long and this to Villeneuve, was a sign that Pelley had more goals in mind than just rescuing him.

"Wait!" cried Villeneuve, ceasing the excitement among the captives. "We cannot kill him!"

"What is wrong with you, sire?" cried another soldier. "Now is the time to kill the king of Denmark as revenge against our kingdom!"

"Something is not right," thought Villeneuve. "If Pelley is doing what I think he is doing…"

He then noticed a set of keys lying by the cell and grabbed them into his hands. The captive French admiral then stuck the keys into the lock and opened it. Reacting fast, Villeneuve opened the door and threw himself out, quickly shutting the door behind him, much to the shock of his fellow captives.

"Stop, sire! What are you doing?" shouted a soldier. "You are not going to leave us here, aren't you?"

"Pelley is defying the orders of a true soldier of France," replied Villeneuve, grabbing the bars of the cell. "I must stop him! You will wait here until I return, that's an order!"

Although they were shocked and disgusted by their leader's actions, the men obeyed their commander and amongst the fighting going on in the ship, Villeneuve wandered around the halls of the Victory determined to find Pelley and stop him from doing something so horrid. However, Eric had spotted Villeneuve and ran over, tackling him to the ground.

"Take your hands off of me!" ordered Villeneuve, as he struggled. "I swear, in the name of France…"

"Do you know what the penalty is for escaping your cell, Villeneuve?" snapped Eric, picking up Villeneuve and throwing him against a wall. "It's death!"

"I'm afraid that there is someone else who will die if you don't release me," groaned Villeneuve, much to Eric's annoyance. The king of Denmark thought that Villeneuve was lying to him and refused to believe what he said. "You must listen to me, my friend."

"Tell me what you are saying," said Eric.

"Your wife and daughter are in danger," protested Villeneuve as Eric released his grip on him. "Pelley is going to make them his prizes."

"What?!" cried Eric, his voice filled with shock and disbelief. "What are you saying?"

"Pelley has a disgusting and perverted appetite for women," replied Villeneuve. "I was afraid that he would assume command."

At this point, Eric didn't think of Villeneuve as a threat, for the true threat was on board and he was alone with the Queen of Denmark and the bride that they had rescued from Villeneuve's attack.

"Help me find them!" ordered Eric as he and Villeneuve gave chase in search of Pelley who was now alone with his prize…Ariel.


	11. Stripping a Queen's Dignity

Chapter 11

"Stripping a Queen's Dignity"

As Eric and Villeneuve ran through the narrow hallways of the HMS Victory, Ariel and Vanessa trembled in fear of the perverted monster that stood before them. They could tell that he was on a mission to make Ariel and Vanessa nothing more than toys: toys that would be used over and over again to satisfy the desires of the French military, or at least in Pelley's mind.

"Now, your highness," he said, directing his attention towards Ariel. "You cannot run and you cannot hide from what is going to happen to you. I have always sought to make women properties of France and to take a Queen and make her nothing more than a mindless toy for his majesty is an honor that I have so desired."

Ariel wanted to run, but she was in a gown and couldn't do so. This wasn't about war or an act of war, this was a perverse act that would not be tolerated in any circumstance whatsoever.

"You will not get away with this, you monster," whimpered Ariel, raising her hand to strike Pelley, but was stopped by the quick thinking naval officer. "I will see to it that…"

"You will see me to what?" laughed Pelley, clutching Ariel's arm tightly. "To be brought before you and your husband in chains? I don't think that's possible. I saw what happened to you in Trafalgar, all those soldiers ripping off your clothes. There is something about seeing women in their undergarments that fascinates me. I always thought that it was just to hide the real beauty underneath."

Vanessa couldn't take any more of this and thought it would be best to intervene.

"Stop this now!" she shouted, attempting to storm over to Pelley and stop him. But she was met with a slap across the face by the devious Frenchman and sent on her back, her undergarments exposed for the Frenchmen to see.

Ariel attempted to use the opportunity to flee, but Pelley grabbed her and pulled himself to her, kissing on her lips and pushing her to the ground as Ariel attempted to scream for help. Vanessa struggled to get to her feet, the weight of her gown making it difficult to do so. All she could do was watch as the Queen of Denmark tried to free herself from the wrath of the devious Frenchman.

"Now, I'm going to make you feel like nothing, your highness," laughed Pelley as he rolled Ariel on her back and started to rip the back of her pink gown with his bare hands. Tears began to form at the corners of the ex-mermaid's eyes as she struggled to get free. The gown that held such value to her and represented her innocence was being ruined. Ariel attempted to reach for a broken glass to defend herself, but the more she struggled, the rougher Pelley had gotten.

It was then that Ariel quietly began to start praying for a miracle, trying to embrace what Vanessa had taught her about calling to God.

"Our father, who art in heaven," she cried as Pelley ripped at the right shoulder of her gown. "Hallowed be thy name."

Pelley then used his right hand to roughly yank off one of Ariel's pearl earrings that was on her right ear, causing blood to flow out. He also pulled at her hair, causing several strands of her red hair to be pulled out of her head

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done," continued Ariel as Pelley then grabbed Ariel's ankles and lifted her upside down, revealing the three petticoats and white pantlettes that were underneath. "On Earth as it is in heaven."

Meanwhile, Eric and Villeneuve continued to search room to room for Pelley, while warding past British soldiers fighting the French soldiers that were still alive. They wandered through the halls for a few moments and then they began to hear Ariel's screams from the Prayer Room.

"Ariel!" screamed Eric as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. But, he couldn't get there any faster as Pelley began to pull at her undergarments, determined to expose Ariel's private areas for his viewing pleasure.

"Give us this day our daily bread," Ariel cried as her life flashed before her eyes. "And forgive us our trespasses and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…"

But before Ariel could finish her prayer, she heard Pelley scream as she fell back on her stomach. Looking up, Ariel could see that Eric had his arms around Pelley's neck, trying to choke him. A look of anger was planted on Eric's face as he threw Pelley around, punching and kicking him with every single ounce of strength in his body.

"I'm going to kill you!" growled Eric as he violently laid down his authority on Pelley.

Soon, Pelley was nothing more than a beating pulp and Eric grabbed Pelley's pistol that was on the floor and pointed it right at the bloodied Frenchman and was just about to finish him off, when a loud French voice was heard.

"No!" called the voice and Eric turned around to see Villeneuve standing in the doorway with a grim look on his face. The man who killed Admiral Nelson walked over to his counterpart and starred down at him like a stern father to his child.

"Pierre," gasped Pelley, relieved to see his comrade was freed. "At last, you have been freed. We must leave at once. Gather our prizes and…"

"What prizes, you traitor?" snapped Villeneuve, looking over at the slightly wounded Ariel, her pink and white gown slightly torn and her right ear bloodied. "The Queen of Denmark? You are a disgrace to France and I will make sure that his highness, Napoleon, hears about this."

But, Pelley didn't take this seriously and laughed mockingly, thinking that he wouldn't be punished for this cowardly act. However, Villeneuve saw otherwise as several British soldiers came in and pulled Pelley to his feet. Unfortunately for Villeneuve, since he was still a prisoner of war, he was also captured as well.

"You will suffer a far worse fate than me," he continued. "As of this moment, I no longer consider you an ally. I consider you a traitor and a pervert to the empire."

It was at this moment that Pelley's smile turned to a look of despair, for he had no idea of the horror's that were about endure as a result of his actions. Villeneuve then looked at Ariel and Eric as he was being led away back to his cell. All the Danish royals could do was just stare at Villeneuve silently until he was out of sight and then Ariel finally broke down sobbing into her husband's arms, glad to be free of the hell that she was placed through.

A few hours later, the Battle of Ortega was over when the Formidable surrendered and the English and Danish navies reigned victorious. However, the greatest victory for King Triton and Atlantica was yet to come as the first of many punishments for Pelley as a result of what he did to Ariel, his youngest daughter.


	12. Destruction of the Formidable

Chapter 12

"Destruction of the Formidable"

It was not until after sunset did the feeling of the Battle of Ortega's end start to sink in on both sides of the battlefield. The British and Danish fleets were victorious and the French and Spanish suffered the agony of defeat. But the true end of the battle was soon to come as all of the French and Spanish ships were captured and their crews were either pressed into the British or Danish navies or put to death for refusing to pledge allegiance to the respective empires.

On board the HMS Victory, Ariel was examined by a military doctor for injuries she had sustained in the attack against her by Pelley. Fortunately, she had only suffered mild cuts and bruises on her body, but her spirit was shaken up as a result of her ordeal. To her, this wasn't a battle anymore, this was an attempt on her dignity being destroyed, the dignity she had built up as a mermaid and as a Queen of an entire nation.

"Ariel, how are you feeling?" asked Eric, walking into their private quarters.

"I feel relieved to be away from that…monster," she replied, her voice filled with exhaustion. "I can't believe humans would do that to one another."

"Unfortunately it's true," sighed Eric, sitting next to Ariel. "Sometimes, random people will attack on another and force their legacy onto someone else. But, if there is one person you need to blame for what happened to you, it's me."

Ariel was surprised to hear this for as far she was concerned, Eric had asked her and Melody to come along for moral support. However, it now seemed clear that Eric was having second thoughts about his decisions.

"Why would you say that?" she gasped, rubbing her hand on his hand. "I thought that you wanted me to come with you on this adventure."

"That was until when I saw on the ground at the mercy of that Frenchman," replied Eric, sadly. "I thought that after what happened at Trafalgar, you would be put into the best protection possible. I failed to protect you and that's all there was to it."

"You would only fail if I was killed or worse," remarked Ariel. "I thank God for your intervention that saved me from being harmed any further. It's too bad my gown was damaged. It holds great value."

"That's why we have seamstresses who will repair it," laughed Eric. "It's also my personal favorite as well. As soon as we get back to Denmark, I'd like you to wear it at our royal dinner."

"I'd be honored to, my love," laughed Ariel, playfully. "It would be just for you, the man who saved me tonight."

The two royals shared a chuckle as they once again reflected on the old days of Ariel's first three days on land. To Eric and Ariel, reflecting on that first dinner that they had with Grimsby was refreshing to both of them and it took their minds off of the events that had transpired recently.

Unfortunately, they had to get back to reality when news came that Pelley was to receive his first punishment for his savage and deplorable attack on Ariel. As night fell, the fleets were preparing to make their way to England to bury Admiral Nelson, but not before the Formidable was to be destroyed. All of the French soldiers who had refused to be pressed into the service of the English or Danish Navies were brought aboard the Formidable and placed in the brigs down below.

"At last, my time is at hand," thought Triton as he readied his trident for the blast that would destroy the ship that killed his wife and caused him to develop a hatred for humans. Taking a deep breath, Triton rose up through the waters and came out with a thunderous splash whose noise pierced the quiet night sky. "Athena, my love, you will be avenged at last!"

A loud cheer came from the British and Danish soldiers as Triton emerged and after briefly acknowledging his appearance, Triton turned his attention to the Formidable, its bow red with dried blood. But, it wasn't just any blood, it was the blood of Queen Athena, which had been on the bow of the ship since the day she was killed.

"Don't hide your eyes from what is about to happen, Pelley," snapped Sir Percy, holding his head up. "This is what will happen when you attack a Queen and try to rob her of her dignity and respect. Now, you will have the honor of watching the king of the Merpeople destroy the ship that you love and desire."

Pelley shook his head and struggled against the bonds that now held him, but there was nothing he could do. He had been defeated fair and square and forced to watch his enemies celebrate their victories. At that moment, Triton powered his trident with a glowing gold color and aimed it at the Formidable, while speaking in a loud and thunderous voice.

"FOR THE GLORY OF ATLANTICA AND THE MEMORY OF QUEEN ATHENA, I SHALL DESTROY THE SHIP THAT SLAYED MY LOVE ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

With one thunderous blast, the trident's powerful beam fired at the ship, causing it to explode into a large fireball whose heat was felt to the people on board the victorious ships. Triton had placed all his energy into this blast, and as the remains of the ship sunk beneath the sea, it seemed that the guilt that he had inside of him for so long was gone. At the same time, Ariel could not help but cry into her husband's shoulder once again, as a painful chapter in her life was closed forever.

With his ship and his men now gone underneath the sea, Pelley was led back to the brig where he was placed in isolation from the rest of the French captives, including Villeneuve, who now held a grudge against Pelley for his actions.

"I hope you suffer the consequences for what you have done," Villeneuve said to himself that night. "I may be a prisoner of war, but I hope you are treated a traitor for defying us and disgracing what it means to be a man of France."

Villeneuve would have no idea of the repercussions his counterpart was about to face in the days that followed…


	13. Triton Confronts Pelley

Chapter 13

"Triton Confronts Pelley"

Pelley sat in his isolated cell with his mind still in rage that he didn't get to accomplish his goals which was to make Ariel and Melody his trophies as well as free Villeneuve. He thought up until that moment that Villeneuve shared his views that women were eligible to be used as toys to fulfill their desires. He was a Frenchman, a man whose country was known for romance.

"I had her," he thought. "I almost had the Queen in my grasp. Ariel is no queen, she is a fish, a mermaid. They don't think that I know her backstory? I know everything about her and all of Atlantica from all the stories that I have heard. I will go to my grave knowing that what I did was for the good of France."

Just then, the disgraced Frenchman heard footsteps coming towards his cell and after a few moments looked to see a pair of English soldiers staring down at him. Opening the cell door, they dragged Pelley out of his cell in a very rough manner.

"Take your hands off of me!" he protested, but the soldiers didn't care. "I demand that you do so at once!"

"Shut up, you pig!" snapped one of the guards, hitting Pelley across the face with the back of his hand. "The father of her highness, the Queen of Denmark, wants to see you!"

"Really?" snorted Pelley, thinking that Triton was not going punish him. "I'm not afraid of him. I swear my allegiance to Napoleon. Long live Napoleon!"

He repeated the saying multiple times to get the attention of the other prisoners, but they didn't listen. For they all knew that what Pelley did was beyond anything that they had set out to do to begin with. Napoleon would never allow women to be treated like that, not even from other countries like Denmark.

"Just ignore him, my sons," said Villeneuve to his captured comrades. "He is a traitor and a disgrace to our empire."

Pelley continued to protest his actions for the good of his empire as he was brought up onto the deck of the HMS Victory. The winds had died down, but they were still on course and it was a perfect time for Triton to lay down the law with the man who violated his youngest daughter. After a few moments, the king of Atlantica rose up from the sea a few hundred yards away before slowly moving towards the disgraced Frenchman.

"I'd consider myself a reasonable merman," he said as he moved closer towards Pelley, before raising his voice. "But, I will not be reasonable with you for the way you harmed my youngest child."

"Your daughter?" sneered Pelley, struggling against his bonds. "Is that what this is all about, Triton? You are merpeople, creatures of the sea that are hunted every day. That's all your daughter was and nothing more."

Triton didn't take this well and fired his trident into the air in a fit of rage. He couldn't use it on Pelley, but he certainly made his presence known to everyone else in the fleets.

"Is it true that you tried to make her a trophy?" demanded Triton. "That's all you humans are, nothing more than barbarians. When I am done with you, you will be one less human to worry about."

The rage inside Triton continued to grow, but Pelley didn't seem to care at all. In fact, all he could do was mock Triton.

"You don't even know humans," mocked Pelley, trying to defend himself. "You shouldn't have even been involved to begin with. You only joined this conflict because of your daughter."

"Know humans?" remarked Triton. "I don't have to know them. You're all the same: spineless, savage, harpooning fish eaters. You are incapable of any feelings and when my daughter was been attacked, you showed to be incapable of any feelings for her well-being."

Triton had to take a moment to catch his breath, but the look of anger in his eyes was still focused down on the creature that attacked Ariel.

"Do you think that I care, merman?" retorted Pelley. "Perhaps you daughter wouldn't have been attacked if she had sided with us. It was the only way that could have this conversation be prevented. No matter what you do to me, I consider my actions against Queen Ariel were for the good of the French empire. Vive la France!"

But, Triton didn't flinch and instead kept his eyes squarely on Pelley. As much as he wanted to kill him, Triton had to understand that he needed to let the British and Danish deal with this pig.

"So, help me, human," he replied, sinking back into the water. "I will long for the day where you are punished for your actions. And when you do, I will make you and your people known throughout Atlantica as a threat to my kingdom. So be warned."

As Triton sank into the waters before him, Pelley was led back to his cell and pretended to not have cared about the events that had just transpired. Triton didn't scare him and in fact, it scared him less than the English and Danish navies.

Meanwhile, Melody had been hiding in her quarters for several hours since her mother and Vanessa were taken prisoner by Pelley. Of course, Melody had learned from Vanessa that Pelley was captured but not before attacking Ariel, which left Melody feeling frightened and scared for her mother's well-being. In fact, she was still wearing the pink gown that she wore for the prayers and vowed not to change out of it until she saw her mother again. But, instead, she heard a knock at her door and thought that it was Ariel herself. Melody darted over to the door and opened it to reveal John on the other side, his uniform torn and dirtied from fighting the Formidable.

"John!" gasped Melody, throwing herself onto him. "You're alive!"

"I heard about what had happened to your mother," he said, stepping into the room and shutting the door. "Sir Strachan had sent me over as soon as we got word. Your safety was all that matters to me at this point, Melody."

Melody began to once again feel a slight comfort as her lover stood in front with a warm smile on his face. At that point, Melody began to feel that desire that she once had with John and the young son of the late Admiral Nelson was feeling that same desire as well. Getting closer, the two young lovers began to kiss and once again, confess their love for one another.

Soon, the fleet was leaving Ortega behind and heading for England. But, the final farewells for Admiral Nelson would soon take place…


	14. Visiting the French Empire

Chapter 14

"Visiting the French Empire"

Following the events at Trafalgar and Ortega, it was another long two months at sea before the victorious British and Danish fleets reached the other side of Europe. The objective for both fleets now was to return Admiral Pelley to France where he would be brought before Napoleon as a traitor to the French government for his actions against Ariel. The idea to bring Pelley to the French Emperor belonged to Villeneuve, who had developed a hatred to his counterpart. It was just after Christmas by the time that the fleet arrived at Cherbourg in France and then it was a long, long coach ride to Paris across the French countryside.

"I hope Villeneuve had a good idea," sighed Ariel as the cold rain fell on the coach that she, Eric and Melody were riding. "Are all people like him, Eric?"

"It's like I said Ariel," he replied. "Not all people are like him. What he did to you during the battle was deplorable and perverse. Villeneuve said that men in the military who committed crimes of this nature are discharged and sent to an island prison far away."

Ariel was surprised to hear this as this to her, was just another part of the world she still needed to learn about. When it came to diplomatic missions, Eric would always be the one to take part while she was left to run Denmark.

"Is that what will happen to Pelley?" wondered Ariel. "He will get sent to the island prison?"

"Yes," said Eric, reassuringly. "Napoleon may be a brute, but he doesn't tolerate men like Pelley who claim women like you as trophies."

The word "trophies," sent a sharp chill down Ariel's spine and instantly took her back to that moment when she and Vanessa were alone with Pelley. Ariel couldn't imagine what would have happened if Eric had not met the escaped Villeneuve and intervened. She could have been brought back to the French fleet with nothing on her body and she could have been continuously assaulted on a daily basis.

"Please don't say that, Eric," whimpered Ariel, turning her head and closing her eyes. "It makes me feel uncomfortable and it reminds me of the stories that daddy used to tell me about humans."

"I'm sorry, Ariel," remarked Eric, now regretting that he even said that word. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm just so disgusted right now. First, the French attacked a wedding ship in the sight of our kingdom and now this. When we get to Paris, I can't wait to let Napoleon know what I think of his men."

Soon, the entourage arrived into the city of Paris and approached the gates of Versailles palace, which were opened almost immediately. It seemed that Napoleon had been expecting Ariel and Eric to arrive when word of what had happened at Ortega had caught his attention. After a brief greeting, Eric and Ariel were led into Napoleon's quarter while Melody remained with John and the rest of the British forces.

"Eric, my friend," he said in a quick witted French accent as they sat down for a drink of wine. "As the victor over my navy, I extend my congratulations to you and our enemies for a well-deserved victory."

"This isn't about victories, Napoleon," Eric said, giving the French dictator a hard stare. "Something happened during the battle that is far greater than any battle. My wife was assaulted by one of your best admirals."

Napoleon took in another sip of his wine and then turned over towards Queen Ariel, admiring her for a moment and it seemed for a moment that Napoleon could understand why she would be targeted in such a manner.

"I see," said Napoleon, pretending not to care. "Why would the Queen of Denmark, who wasn't even born a human, be assaulted? Isn't she able to just swim away like a mermaid or something?"

"This is serious, Napoleon!" snapped Eric, slamming his hand down on the table. "One of your admirals is nothing more than a pervert that needs to be punished."

Napoleon then rose from the table and walked over to the window overlooking the courtyard of Versailles palace. It seemed to him that it was inconceivable for one of his admirals of the greatest navy in Europe to carry out such an atrocity.

"Eric, if this is because of what happened to the wedding ship," he said. "Then, I suggest you leave at once. I'm sorry for what happened to that lovely bride and her family, but I have a continent to conquer and have no time for squabbles. Besides, you made a grave mistake by bringing a woman, let alone the Queen of Denmark, into a private war that doesn't even concern you to begin with."

It was at this moment that Ariel rose from her seat and decided to reason with Napoleon one on one. She was a victim of nearly losing her virginity, her dignity and her self-respect, not once but twice

"I can't believe that you are oblivious to what is going on," cried Ariel. "Eric is trying to tell you what happened to me and you just pretend to not care. If my father were here right now…"

This caused Napoleon to turn towards the Queen of Denmark with a sharp glare, almost as if he wanted to pick up where Pelley left off. However, he had to set a good example for his empire and allowed Ariel to speak.

"Napoleon, your majesty," she said, curtseying, out of respect despite Napoleon's disgusting manners towards her. "You may question why my daughter and I chose to accompany Eric and the English to fight your navy. It is because I love my husband and I could never live without him, something that you will most likely never understand."

It was then that Ariel began to cross personal boundaries with Napoleon and asked him a very personal question.

"Do you have a wife, Napoleon?" she asked, defiantly. "Tell me, do you have a wife?"

Napoleon grew slightly irritated with Ariel's question and turned to her with a glare, but then suddenly realized what she was trying to say to him.

"I do have a wife, Queen Ariel," he replied, sighing. "And I would do anything to protect her from harm."

"Then listen to what we are trying to say to you," protested Ariel. "Would you want this man to attack another queen or any other woman for that matter? What if my daughter was the one that was standing before you instead of me?"

Eric was amazed at how defiant Ariel was being. In a sense, Ariel was channeling her father's inner anger, the way how he got angry with her when she defied him.

"Queen Ariel," he sighed, trotting back to his seat and clutching his glass of wine. "If you could prove to me that what you are saying what happened to you is true…"

"Of course I can!" retorted Ariel, bending down to Napoleon's level while Eric stepped back to give his wife space to reason with the French Emperor. "I was assaulted twice during the battles with your navy. They would put their hands on me and tear at my dresses. In fact, the gown I wore when Pelley attacked me was a gown that I had treasured ever since I became a human. I wore it when I had my first dinner with Eric, you know. It represents my innocence, my happiness and your disgusting admiral tried to rip it off of me like it was nothing more than a rag! Have you ever had something that represented you, Napoleon?"

Ariel could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she had to stay strong, especially in front of someone like Napoleon. She was a Queen that had to set an example for her people and there was no better time than now.

"I have, Queen Ariel," replied Napoleon. "I have a son that is illegimate as a result of an affair that I had during my campaign in Egypt. I may not have been thinking clearly, but I treasure that child as if he were my own. Even if he never becomes emperor."

"Then deal with the man who attacked me," cried Ariel. "We have him as our prisoner and are willing to turn him over to you."

It seemed at that moment that Ariel's plea for justice would fall on deaf, but to her amazement, Napoleon understood what she was trying to say to him. In his mind, Pelley was indeed nothing more than a troublemaker to Napoleon.

"Very well then, Queen Ariel," said Napoleon, taking in what Ariel had laid out on him. "I will deal with Admiral Pelley for you. Every word you said to me confirms that what Pelley did to you was wrong and uncalled for. He will be discharged and then sent to Devil's Island in exile."

Feeling as if Napoleon had listened at last, Ariel and Eric returned from their meeting and Pelley was brought into the palace in chains before being led to the dungeons.

It was a small victory to say the least, but it was only the beginning of the events that would soon transpire over the next few days…


	15. Trying to Erase the Past

Chapter 15

"Trying to Erase the Past"

Following their meeting with Napoleon, the Danish royal family were invited to stay in the palace of Versailles where they would witness the discharge of Admiral Pelley. It took a while for Ariel to calm down following her tirade on Napoleon. It wasn't until she had asked him if he had a wife did Napoleon agree to punish Pelley for his attack on her. Of course, Ariel was now beginning to wonder if she and Melody did the right thing by going with Eric to battle the French and the Spanish. Napoleon's question on whether it was a good idea for her to accompany Eric into battle was something that Ariel couldn't get out of her mind.

"Eric, do you think I should have accompanied you into battle?" she wondered as they got ready for bed that night. "I mean, Napoleon did have a point."

"It's as you said to him earlier today," replied Eric, as Ariel came from behind the dressing screen wearing her pink nightgown. "You did it out of love for me and Melody. Yes, it was risky, but it took a lot of courage for you do so. Remember what you said when we were married?"

Ariel then began to think back to her wedding day to Eric aboard the same wedding ship that was later attacked by Napoleon. She could well remember the vows she had made to stand by Eric and always love him in good times and in bad times.

"I do, Eric," she said, climbing into bed. "But, maybe this was a time where I took those vows too far and as a result, I was nearly stripped of everything I had dear: you, Melody, my father, my home under the sea…"

But Eric interrupted his wife by placing a finger at her mouth, silencing her.

"It doesn't matter now, my love," interrupted Eric. "All that matters is that you are safe with me and I promise to always be there for you and our kingdom that we have reigned over for over ten years now."

Ariel was still feeling uneasy about herself, but was reassured on her husband's words that he would be there to protect her at all costs, just as he did to Ariel in her moment of despair and terror.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Victor were still at sea aboard the HMS Caesar as it neared England. After the battle, Vanessa was moved to the Caesar at her request to be near Victor, who was aboard being treated for his injuries. In a sense, it was better for her as the Victory was a ship that was the scene of horror with blood still stained on the planks on the main deck.

"How are you feeling, Vanessa?" asked Victor, stepping into their quarters. "You must still be traumatized after everything that has happened."

"Yes, I am," sighed Vanessa, sitting on the bed. "I was just thinking about Ariel and what happened to her. I can only imagine what she is going through after all she and Eric had done for us."

"Well, she is strong, that is all I can say," remarked Victor, who moaned slightly from his injuries. "No one is more qualified to rule our homeland than Eric and Ariel. After all, Queen Ariel was kind enough to let you wear her wedding gown at our wedding, when the moment comes of course."

This brought a smile to Vanessa's face as it was the one event that she was looking forward to the most. All her life, Vanessa wanted nothing more than to marry the man of her dreams. She didn't want to go fight a Navy and witness men being killed by the hundreds, if not, thousands.

"Victor, do you think that maybe all of this will go away?" wondered Vanessa, much to Victor's confusion as he walked over to her bed.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I mean, everything that has happened," said Vanessa. "I want to forget about all of this and pretend like it never even happened to begin with."

In Victor's mind, this was something that could not happen. Sure, some of the wedding guests who were kidnapped by the French were rescued, but they couldn't erase the pain and misery that started on their wedding day.

"If only that were possible, my love," replied Victor as he climbed in. "But, it's as your father said, that God creates the days as they are and he cannot change it. We just have to live through this and try to not think about it."

Vanessa could tell that her husband was right, they couldn't forget what had happened. Many families on both sides had lost loved ones in the two battles. In fact, some of the people who had attended their wedding were killed either in the attack by Villeneuve or during the two battles after they were pressed into service.

The next morning, Ariel and Eric awoke to the sounds of people screaming outside the gates of Versailles. The rain was still coming down and a large gathering was in the main courtyard. Eric watched as the crowds grew larger and larger while Ariel stood behind the dressing screen and was being dressed by several servants.

"A fine day for a discharge," remarked Eric. "It seems fitting after all that has happened, don't you think, Ariel?"

But, Ariel didn't respond to her husband's question. For she knew that all about what had happened at both Trafalgar and Ortega had said everything about what was going to happen. Instead, she chose to focus on other matters, particularly about Melody, who had stayed with John in another room of the palace

"Is Melody joining us?" asked Ariel. "She doesn't have to be with us."

"I'm sure she will join us," replied Eric, inspecting himself in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable. "She is the Princess after all."

"Eric, her title doesn't matter," said Ariel, as she emerged wearing the purple gown she wore to Melody's 12th birthday party and the ball welcoming Admiral Nelson. "I'd much rather have her not absorb any more of the terror that we had to endure. In a way, I am glad that John is with her."

Eric thought it was against his better judgment to keep Melody away, but Ariel was always the firm one in the Danish royal family and didn't say anything else.

"Besides," continued Ariel, as she placed her emerald earrings and necklace on her face. "I want her to spend some time with John, get to know him a little bit."

Eric smiled as he was starting to catch on that Ariel believed that Melody and John would start a courtship. Of course, he would have to wait until after what was going to happen in the courtyard, where Pelley would be disgraced and shipped off to an island prison with Ariel, Eric and all of France to witness it all…


	16. Dishonorably Discharged

Chapter 16

"Dishonorably Discharged"

After a rough night's sleep, Eric and Ariel joined Napoleon and several other important dignitaries to witness the dishonorable discharge of Admiral Pelley. Villeneuve was also in attendance, but he was in a cage since he was classified as a Prisoner of War as a result of his capture. The crowds which had been gathering all morning had grown to almost all of Paris. This caused both Eric and Ariel to wonder why it would get to this level.

"Why are there so many people?" Eric asked Napoleon, who was sitting next to them. "I thought this would be a private matter."

"Because I want to show an example of what happens when France is dishonored," replied Napoleon. "I maintain standards in my army, both land and sea, and such actions will not be tolerated."

He then looked over to Ariel, who was looking down at the ground seemingly trying to not think about her assault. Although he wasn't a very compassionate person, Napoleon felt a sense of sympathy for Ariel, who reminded him of what was important.

"When I say that," continued Napoleon. "I especially say that in honor of you, Queen Ariel. I admire and respect you greatly, especially after what happened."

Ariel felt slightly better, although not completely for Napoleon was partially responsible for Pelley's assault on her. He was the one who had allowed Pelley to wear an admiral's uniform and join one of the greatest Navy's in all of Europe. She knew that Napoleon was more focused on conquering all of Europe instead of monitoring the psychologies of the men he recruits for his country's army.

At that moment, a hushed silence fell on the crowd as a black carriage pulled by two black stallions came into the courtyard. As soon as the carriage stopped, the doors opened and two British guards came out of the carriage followed by Admiral Pelley, wearing all of his medals for the time being.

For he knew of the punishment that was about to be put on him for his actions. The crowds screamed and shouted as Admiral Pelley followed the British guards to his fellow Frenchmen, who stood in view of their leader as well as Ariel and Eric, who were up in the balcony. Feeling slightly nervous, Ariel grasped Eric's hand and watched as Pelley walked up to the elite of the France. Napoleon then got up and walked down to the edge of the balcony, looking down on Pelley. The crowds fell silent once again as Napoleon spoke to his disgraced and troubled admiral.

"Admiral Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley," he began. "You have been charged with the crime of assault and treason in the name of France. I had come to respect you as one of the greatest in all of France and to trust you with maintain the reputation of France and her way of life. By assaulting the Queen of Denmark, you have disgraced the meaning to what it means to serve France and to this end, you are hereby sentenced to a dishonorable discharge from France's military and sentenced to prison on Devil's Island."

At that moment, a huge roar came from the crowd as Pelley tried to maintain his composure in front of his leader. He looked up to see Ariel still clutching Eric's hand tightly, a look of anger deep in her face.

"Is there anything you wish to say before the discharge is carried out?" asked Napoleon as the crowd fell silent again.

"I am sorry for the actions I have caused," replied Pelley, trying to not pay attention to Ariel. "My actions were for the good of France and her people. I believe that the King of Denmark is partially responsible for allowing the Queen of Denmark to be subjected to the horrors that I have brought upon her. He should not have allowed her to accompany him into our conflict."

Eric felt like screaming down at Pelley upon hearing this, but had to maintain his composure, for his people and his country, especially his wife and daughter, who had endured enough pain and misery over these next few months.

Just then, a sergeant came forward and took Pelley's two cornered hat and removed all of the regalia from it, throwing them to the floor. Next, he removed each medal that was on Pelley's uniform. All of the medals he had earned were being stripped away from him and both Eric and Ariel were taking pleasure into it. Ariel felt that with each medal being ripped away was a piece of dignity that was being returned to her. Finally, the sergeant took Pelley's sword and broke it in two, throwing the two halves at Pelley's feet. Now, stripped of his medals, the two British soldiers led the ex-admiral back to the carriage for the long journey out of Paris and to a waiting ship bound for Devil's Island.

"I ask you all to pray for me!" shouted Pelley, who was met with an angry resistance from the crowd of angry French citizens. "I shall return to serve you again!"

But the resistance grew louder as the carriage drove off from the courtyard and just like that it was over. The man who had committed the crime of perversion was been sent away to an island prison, vowing to return one day.

Following the discharging, Ariel and Eric were invited to attend a reception in one of the dining halls of Versailles, however Ariel had decided to head down to the dungeons for a visit with Villeneuve when she got a request from one of the British soldiers that he wanted to see her.

"Why do you wish to see me, Villeneuve?" she asked, motioning the British guards to leave her alone with him.

"Because I want you to understand, your highness," replied Villeneuve. "That I didn't have any intention of allowing you to be taken advantage of like that by my comrades. I was so caught up on defeating the English and Danish that I couldn't see the true battle that was going on."

"If you had realized this earlier," remarked Ariel, pacing around the room for a moment. "Then you could have stopped Pelley. Instead, you chose to focus on following your leader's orders. Your help came too little and too late."

Ariel then teared up and turned her head away, thinking that Villeneuve was not being sympathetic. However, the captured French leader could not help but feel sorry for the wife of his enemies.

"I understand your frustration, your highness," he said, trying to reach out to her through the bars of the dungeons. "I have a wife and daughter myself and I would never live with myself if anything were to happen to them. I promise you in the name of God that I will do everything I can to make it up to you. Of course, you may never forgive me, but I hope you realize that someday, you will understand what I am saying to you."

Ariel wanted to respond, but she couldn't. She had seen enough and just wanted to move on with her life. Villeneuve apologized for his actions in allowing Pelley to attack, but Ariel was not going to forgive him easily.

Eventually, she would have to forgive him…


	17. Funeral for a Hero

Chapter 17

"Funeral for a Hero"

Ariel was still thinking of her conversation with Villeneuve as they left France and headed for England to remember the life of Admiral Nelson, who had been lying in state in London during the time that they were in Paris. The funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral was only just another piece of sorrow that Ariel and her family had to endure, which was something that they didn't need right now.

However, for all of the British Empire, it was a chance to bid farewell to probably one of the greatest admirals to ever serve in the Royal Navy. Villeneuve was also in attendance, but in chains, because he was a prisoner of war. After all, Villeneuve had a tremendous amount of respect for his equal, despite their duel at Trafalgar.

"Heavenly father," said the Archbishop of Canterbury as he stood over the casket. "We ask you to watch over our beloved son, Horatio, as he dwells in your house now and forever. We ask you to bless his family and our beloved king and his people in the days to come. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives within you in the community of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen."

At that moment, the cathedral was filled with powerful organ music as one of England's greatest hymns was performed by the church choir.

 _O love of God, how strong and true!_

 _Eternal, and yet ever new;_

 _Uncomprehended and unbought,_

 _Beyond all knowledge and all thought._

 _O love of God, how deep and great!_

 _Far deeper than man's deepest hate;_

 _Self fed, self kindled, like the light,_

 _Changeless, eternal, infinite._

 _O heavenly love, how precious still,_

 _In days of weariness and ill,_

 _In nights of pain and helplessness,_

 _To heal, to comfort, and to bless!_

 _O wide embracing, wondrous love!_

 _We read thee in the sky above,_

 _We read thee in the earth below,_

 _In seas that swell, and streams that flow._

 _We read thee best in Him who came_

 _To bear for us the cross of shame;_

 _Sent by the Father from on high,_

 _Our life to live, our death to die._

 _We read thy power to bless and save,_

 _E'en in the darkness of the grave;_

 _Still more in resurrection light,_

 _We read the fullness of thy might._

 _O love of God, our shield and stay_

 _Through all the perils of our way!_

 _Eternal love, in thee we rest_

 _Forever safe, forever blest._

During the hymn, Melody continually held on to John's hand as he struggled to hold back his emotions. Finally, as the hymn reached its climax, he bowed his head and sobbed quietly as he buried himself into Melody's chest.

"It's all right, John," she whispered. "You can cry, it's all right. Your father would approve of it."

This took notice from Ariel and Eric, who noticed that John was finally releasing his pent up emotions that he had been harboring since the battle of Trafalgar. In fact, Ariel was also getting emotional a little bit herself, thinking back to when her mother was laid to rest in Atlantica.

Finally, after several more readings and the distribution of communion, the time had come for Admiral Nelson to be laid to rest in a sarcophagus in the spot where his funeral was. Only John and his family were presented while the Danish royal family were invited to Buckingham Palace for a reception hosted by his highness, King George III.

"That was a beautiful service, wasn't it?" remarked Ariel as she and Eric stood on the balcony overlooking the city of London. "It kind of reminds me of when my mother was laid to rest."

"I know how you feel, Ariel," replied Eric. "My parents' funerals didn't have this much pageantry when you think about it. I can only imagine how John must feel."

The two monarchs then looked over to a black carriage that was pulling into the courtyard by two white stallions. Once it came to a complete stop, John and Melody were the first to emerge followed by the rest of John's family. This brought great comfort to Ariel and Eric when they saw their only child standing by John's side.

"Well, I can say one thing," said Eric. "It's very nice that Melody is being supportive of him. It's another reminder of how far we have come, Ariel."

"Indeed so, Eric," remarked Ariel, as a light rain began to fall once again. "Indeed so."

Not wanting to get her purple gown wet, Ariel went back inside with her husband as the Nelson family walked into the reception hall.

As she walked back inside, Ariel began to think of what her father was going through at that moment and sure enough, Triton and his mersoldiers had returned to Atlantica and now the king of the undersea kingdom was floating over the grave of Queen Athena.

"Oh, my dear Athena," sighed Triton. "I have finally sought my revenge against the humans who took you away from me. It has never been easy for me to not have you by my side after all these years. I just wish you could be here by my side to see how your children have grown up into beautiful young mermaids."

Triton then bent down to place an undersea flower at his wife's grave and quietly said a silent prayer while Sebastian and the rest of his entourage watched from a short distance.

"Your majesty," said Sebastian, sadly and out of respect for his king. "If only we could take away the pain dat you hold inside."

Triton continued to stand in front of his wife's grave for a moment and as he stood, he thought of everything that had happened up until that moment including the moment when he destroyed Ariel's grotto out of anger that she had fallen in love with Eric.

To this day, he still regretted that moment greatly and even though he had apologized to Ariel long ago, Triton wished he would go back and fix everything, but he couldn't. Like Ariel dealing with the aftermath of her assault by Admiral Pelley, he had to move on with his life, even if it wasn't easy.

Still, on the bright side, there were moments that were yet to be cherished to help get the minds off of the recent events that had transpired…


	18. Will You Marry Me Again?

Chapter 18

"Will You Marry Me Someday?"

Following the funeral of his father, John stood by Melody's side as the reality of his father's death began to sink in. He wasn't in a talkative mood and not even seeing the parents of his girlfriend would bring a smile to his face. In fact, there were times where he would lose control of his emotions, but fortunately he didn't do so. But there was something else to consider now that his father was gone and that was his future with the Danish princess he had fallen in love with.

"Father," he thought as the band began to play waltzes that allowed guests to walk onto the dance floor. "If you could hear me right now, should I confess my love to Melody and even ask her to marry me someday?"

Of course, Nelson was dead, but John felt his spirit next to him and with no one listening, he heard a voice.

"When the time is right, you can confess your love. But for now, I hope you remain at a courtship. Think of your mother and the rest of your family right now."

As soon as he heard the voice of his father, John extended his hand to Melody and led her out on the dance floor. From her point of view, Melody thought that John was pulling himself together. A nice dance to the music of the waltzes that England was known for would do them all good, given what had happened over the last few months.

"Melody, can I ask you something?" asked John while the first waltz was played.

"Sure John, what is it?" remarked Melody.

"I know we have known each other for a short time," stammered John. "And after all we have been through together against the French and Spanish after all, I think it is right of me to say that…that…."

John struggled to what he wanted to say, but Melody sensed that she knew what John was trying to say to her. In a way, she could also feel like John was the young man for her. Sure, they were both young, but they were destined to be together.

"If it is to say that you love me," chuckled Melody, a smile on her face. "Then, I love you too. But, can't we wait until we're older before we decide to unite as one?"

John nodded at this and agreed with Melody that they should indeed wait until they were older to even think about getting married.

"Besides," continued Melody as John spun her around. "Let's just enjoy all the comforts of life, starting right now, shall we?"

Watching from a short distance, both Ariel and Eric could listen in to what their daughter was saying. Having John as a son in law would be a whole new experience for both of them. However, Ariel began to think back to how her father was disapproving of her relationship with Eric and began to feel like she was going to act the same way.

"Eric, I can't help but wonder," remarked Ariel as they watch their daughter dance with the young Englishman. "Do you think that Melody and John will one day…?"

"Why do you worry, Ariel?" wondered Eric. "I thought you want Melody and John to be together. Remember how you always wanted to love me over your father objections?"

Ariel nodded slightly as Eric extended his hand out to her in an effort to get her on the dance floor. Although her mind was clouded with a slight case of fear, Ariel accepted her husband's invitation and joined her on the dance floor, her purple gown fluttering as they danced.

"I know what you mean, Eric," said Ariel. "But, she's only 12 years old, she's just a child."

"It's never too late to think about the future," laughed Eric. "We can only dream the best for our daughter, you know. Let's just have them start slow and then they can build their relationship."

Ariel could smile in response to what her husband had said, but both she and Melody were right about one thing and that was it was best to wait until that they were both older before John and her would be married.

Meanwhile, out in the gardens, Victor and Vanessa were sitting alone as the sun had started to come out. It had been over several months since the attack on the wedding ship and they were wondering if maybe, just maybe that they would finally get married. It had been put off long enough and they both knew it.

"Nice of God to give us sunlight again, Victor," remarked Vanessa. "I just hope only good comes out from here on in."

"I hope so too, Vanessa," sighed Victor, as they watched a young couple walk past them. "We've been through so much together. I mean with you imprisoned by the French and all. I just can't help but think of what could have happened if Eric and Ariel hadn't gone to war with the British."

"Then let's not think about it," said Vanessa, playfully touching Victor's collar. This got Victor in a playful and joyous mood as he tackled Vanessa to the ground, both of them laughing in glee and joyfulness. The English were always known for maintaining standards and some people that were walking by were indignant at their display, but some were glad to see the unusual way of the two lovers confessing their love for one another. During this time, Victor was planning a strategy to finish what he and Vanessa had started all those months ago. Yes, he did propose to her, but that was before the events of Trafalgar and Ortega. He wanted to do it all again as a way of starting over.

"God, if you can hear me," he thought as their playful nature continued. "Please create a joyous moment for my love and I to start over once again."

Finally, after a few minutes, the two lovers pulled themselves together and walked back into the palace, their clothes ruffled slightly from their playful nature. After joining in on a waltz, Victor walked over to a table and grabbed a glass, tinkling it to get the attention of everyone in the room.

"I promise to be brief, Ladies and Gentlemen," announced Victor as Vanessa let out a sharp gasp. "But, I just want to thank his majesty, King George, for allowing us to stay while we recover from the events of recent. Now, if my darling love would sit down while I do something that I did before."

Vanessa could only believe what was about to happen and tears began forming in the corners of her eyes. It seemed that she knew of what Victor was about to do. Getting down on one knee, Victor took Vanessa's hand and asked the question that was once asked before.

"Vanessa, will you marry me…again?"

"YES!" screamed Vanessa and the entire ballroom broke into applause, supposedly closing the book on a dark period in their personal history.

But, they still had a wedding to prepare for before they could close the book on this dark chapter…


	19. An Overdue Wedding

Chapter 19

"An Overdue Wedding"

The events of Victor's proposal to Vanessa at Buckingham Palace were still fresh in the minds of all who had attended and after several months, the Danish Royal Family had at long last, returned to Denmark. After a new wedding ship was built to replace the one that was destroyed, the day had finally come for Vanessa and Victor to be married.

For Ariel, this was a chance to finally move on and focus on the future as opposed to the past, when her life was nearly destroyed by a perverted French Admiral, who was now rotting away on an island prison far away.

"Ariel?" asked a voice on the other side. "I have something for you."

Knowing who the voice was, Ariel walked over and opened the door to her private quarters and gasped as Eric stood with her newly repaired pink and white gown in the hands of several servants.

"Eric, it looks amazing!" gasped Ariel, inspecting the gown and admiring the repairs that were made. "Just like it was when we had our first dinner together."

Ariel joyfully nudged Eric with her elbow upon reminding her of that first night that they had together. Once again,

"You might want to have something to wear at the ceremony tonight," chuckled Eric, as the servants led Ariel to the screen to get her dressed. "It's a wedding, you know, a night to celebrate the union of Vanessa and Victor.

"I'm just very happy for them Eric," said Ariel as she was led to her mirror for one of the servants to apply her makeup. "After everything that has happened, I just want to have a night where nothing unexpected happens. How is Melody and John?"

"They are probably just as excited for the wedding as we are," replied Eric. "I'm just happy that Melody has a possible suitor for the very near future. Speaking of which, I might as well see if they need anything. Save me a dance later in that gown?"

"If that's what you want," laughed Ariel as she hugged her husband tightly, grateful to have a physical piece of her life back. "I'll save a dance for you."

Eric could see that Ariel had not been this happy since their first wedding night and left her alone to enjoy the moment. At the same time, Ariel still harbored over the fact that her only child would soon be growing into a young woman, just as she did once before. In addition, she was also still thinking about Triton and how he was holding up after the battles at sea.

A few hours later, the newly created wedding ship departed the dock at sunset, as per custom in Denmark and in her wedding chambers, Vanessa looked at the mirror nervously as she was helped into Ariel's wedding gown.

She could have also worn the wedding gown that was remade for her during the battle of Ortega, but it would bring nothing but bad memories and that was something that they didn't need right now. So many brave men had died in the two naval battles and wearing it would only open wounds that didn't need to be opened any further.

"Today is just too important," she thought to herself. "Today is the day that I marry the love of my life and that is something that no one, not the French, not the Spanish, can take away from me."

Once Vanessa was fully dressed in Ariel's wedding gown, she was led by her bridesmaids and lined up for the walk down the aisle. Victor stood at the altar shaking nervously while John stood by him and patted him on the back.

"You'll do fine, my friend," he whispered as the wedding march began to play on the organ.

A few moments later, Vanessa walked down the aisle, her face covered with a wedding veil and a gold tiara on her head. For the next few minutes, Vanessa walked slowly down the aisle as Victor admired her beauty. To him, Vanessa looked more beautiful on this day as opposed to the first attempt. Once Vanessa had stepped forward, the same priest who had almost married Eric and Ursula, but married Ariel and Eric began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved," he said in a grandfatherly voice. "We gather here today to bear witness to the union of the lovely Vanessa and the handsome one known as Victor. For the last few months, our lives have all been turn upside down as a result of war and the loss of so many lives. Let us remember the lives of those who came before us and those who are not here to witness this joyous day."

A deathly silence fell on the wedding, only to be broken once again when the priest began to openly turn the page.

"But let us remember," he continued, his feeble voice booming as loud as it could. "That God had wanted that these two be married in united matrimony and I can honestly say, it is time for us to honor his wishes."

Vanessa struggled to hold back tears and Victor took an enormous gulp as the time had now come for them to once again proclaim their vows to one another.

"Now Vanessa," he said. "If you would repeat after me. Look to your loved one and tell him your commitment to your future with him."

After a few moments, the tearful bride began to proclaim her vows to Victor as everyone watched with excitement.

" _You are my lover and my teacher,_

 _You are my model and my accomplice,_

 _And you are my true counterpart._

 _I will love you, hold you and honor you,_

 _I will respect you, encourage you and cherish you,_

 _In health and sickness,_

 _Through sorrow and success,_

 _For all the days of my life."_

Once Vanessa had finished her vows, it was Victor's turn to proclaim his love for Vanessa and unlike her, he had vows of his own he wanted to say. It was vows that his late father wanted him to say if he were to die in an unfortunate circumstance.

" _I promise to encourage your compassion,_

 _Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful._

 _I promise to nurture your dreams,_

 _Because through them your soul shines._

 _I promise to help shoulder our challenges,_

 _For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together._

 _I promise to be your partner in all things,_

 _Not possessing you, but working with you as a part of the whole._

 _Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust,_

 _For one lifetime with you could never be enough._

 _This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things."_

Finally, the time had come for the exchanging of the rings and a pair of ring bearers came forward and handed the rings to the priest, who gave one ring to Victor and one to Vanessa.

"Now, the time has come for you both to accept these rings," said the priest, holding his hands out in a blessing position. "Blessed by the power of our master, Jesus Christ, the ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. I t has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle; for love that is given comes back round again. Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you've been, and where you're going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are a couple."

The Priest then turned to Victor and the young Dane took another gulp as he took his bride's hand and placed the ring on her finger.

"Victor," said the Priest. "Will you take this ring and place it on Vanessa's finger and as you do, repeat after me."

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow," said Victor. "And with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of God, the father, the son and the Holy Ghost."

Once Victor had said his piece, the priest then turned to Vanessa, whose tears of joy were running down her face slightly.

"Vanessa," said the Priest. "Will you take this ring and place it on Victor's finer and as you do, repeat after me."

Vanessa then took her lover's hand and placed the ring on his hand and just like he did for her, Vanessa said the same words that Victor had said.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow," said Vanessa. "And with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of God, the father, the son and the Holy Ghost."

Finally, after the distribution of communion and the anointing on their heads, the time had finally come for the priest to proclaim them for who they are now.

"And by the holy powers veseted in me," announced the priest. "And in the name of God and the kingdom of Denmark, I pronounce you man and wife. Go in peace to love and serve the lord and most importantly, one another."

Realizing that they finally achieved their ultimate goal, the newly proclaimed married couple kissed on the embrace as everyone cheered, grateful for them to be married after all that had happened.

Of course, there would be one more guest in attendance and he would come from beneath the sea representing not only Atlantica, but also his own daughter, the Queen of Denmark.


	20. Putting the Past to Rest

Chapter 20

"Putting the Past to Rest"

The wedding of Vanessa and Victor was a major relief for all of not just Denmark, but for all of Europe. It gave Europe a chance to escape the growing conflict that was going on with France at the head. For Ariel and her family, this was a chance to celebrate what it means to be rulers of a country and an entire kingdom. The reception was just like any other reception after a wedding, but to her, it was a special one. It was unfortunate that her mother wasn't here to see this and after sharing a brief and promised dance with Eric, Ariel walked out to the edge of the wedding ship just as she did at her own wedding 12 years earlier.

"I hope you are feeling all right after all that has happened, daddy," she said to herself, looking down at the water. "I just wish you could be here with us."

Suddenly, the waters came up and King Triton emerged from the waters, opening his arms out to hug Ariel. After a brief embrace, they broke apart and gave each other a warm smile.

"How are you feeling, Ariel?" he asked warmly. "I have been thinking about you for quite some time now."

"I'm fine, daddy," she replied. "It was a beautiful wedding ceremony and I can't help but feel happy for Vanessa and Victor. This was a day that was overdue for them."

Triton looked over Ariel's shoulder and saw the start of the dancing that was going on in the ballroom. Knowing that Eric and Melody would be waiting for Ariel, Triton decided to keep his visit brief.

"Indeed, Ariel," said Triton. "I know that Eric and Melody are waiting for you, so I will stay for a brief time."

"No, daddy," insisted Ariel, not wanting to see her father leave. "Stay as long as you want. After all, you played a major part in our victory, even if it didn't feel like one."

Ariel was of course, thinking back to when her life was turned upside down. At the same time, she was thinking of what could have been if she hadn't accompanied Eric into battle. Her love for him was the main reason for doing so. What Pelley had did to her was repulsive and wrong, casting a shadow over all on land and sea.

"As a matter of fact daddy," sighed Ariel, walking back towards the ballroom and turning back to face him. "Now that you destroyed the ship that killed mother, do you think that maybe you will start to appreciate all humans a little more?"

Triton thought about what Ariel had just said to him. She was right, he had to let go some of his grudge against humans, a grudge that he had held for so many years.

"I might start to Ariel," said Triton, shrugging his shoulders. "But, I have to warn you that it won't be right away. Remember, humans killed your mother and the pain may be too deep to erase completely. Destroying the ship won't bring her back, but I have come to accept that not humans are evil."

"When did you learn that?" asked Ariel.

"When you married Eric," replied Triton. "There are some humans I have come to trust, including him and Melody. I love you and I have admired you for choosing the path you now take."

Just then, a cold wind blew and made Ariel shiver slightly. She could tell that the cold wind was a sign of things to come for them and since it was a cold wind that would mean more troubles on the horizon.

"That was a cold wind," said Ariel. "You always said that it was a sign that trouble was coming."

"Yes, Ariel," replied Triton. "Even after all we have been through, the cold wind would mean that we will have to endure another challenge, a challenge that I fear would test the relationship you have with Melody."

A twinge of fear came though Ariel's mind as she took in what her father had said. She then turned and watched Melody and John dance with one another. She didn't want to think of the future given what she had been through along with her kingdom in general.

"What can I do?" asked Ariel, her voice growing desperate. "Please tell me, Daddy."

"All you can do is pray, Ariel," advised Triton. "You, Eric and Melody must pray for the future of our kingdoms. For there will come a time where your relationships are tested. I don't know what the future holds, but you must never forget who you are and where you came from, no matter what happens."

After that moment, Triton floated over and hugged his daughter tightly as he made his way back into the waters, feeling justified that the ship that killed his wife and Ariel's mother was gone forever.

But, Ariel still had a promise to fulfill and walked back into the ballroom to dance with Eric while still dressed in her pink and white gown.

"Shall we dance?" asked Eric as he bowed while Ariel curtseyed. "The night is still young."

"Indeed so," replied Ariel, still thinking about what Triton had said. "This was a great night for us all."

"Let's just hope that all our troubles are behind us," remarked Eric as they began dancing to the next waltz. "We've had enough troubles to last us a lifetime."

So, they continued celebrating the wedding for the rest of the evening with the thought of more conflict still fresh in Ariel's mind. As she danced with Eric, Ariel turned her attention towards Melody and John, with Melody resting her head on John's shoulder.

"I just hope there are no more dangers coming to our kingdom," thought Ariel as the waltz ended. "I've made the mistake once of trying shield Melody from harm and I will not make that same mistake again as God is my witness, I will not make the same mistake again unless if I have to."

Meanwhile, back in London, Sir Percy had been summoned to Buckingham Palace after an urgent message had come for all of England's naval officers to meet at the palace.

"What is the message?" asked Sir Percy as he walked into the large room.

"Its coming from our forces in the Crimea," said a naval officer. "We must prepare for a defense of Turkey against the Russians."

Little did everyone know that the Danish royal family would be pulled back into the tide of battle sooner than they all thought.

TO BE CONTINUED….SPRING 2016.


End file.
